Blood & Thunder
by StripedHatter
Summary: [WoW] A paladin torn between love and duty. A night elf trying to find peace amid a war. A mage struck by poverty. A tauren learning the true meaning of hero. A druid facing a horrible demon. A draenei learning what it means to love. These six come together for a heroic quest, but at the cost of their ideals. But even in the face of great danger, love conquers all- mostly...
1. Chapter One: That's No Bear

Chapter One: That's No Bear

 _Silverpine Forest_

The bear initially appeared perfectly ordinary.

He was any ordinary big grey-black bear; Lynissara had already checked for markings- in the worgen-infested Silverpine Forest, this was always necessary- and found none; in the dim lighting, he appeared to be a black bear like any other, one whose (hopefully) undiseased guts would soon be delivered to that wretched, needy apothecary, and Lyn would be done with the whole business of harvesting animal organs.

The paladin charged forward with her battle-ax, alerting the bear to her presence. The fight would go as it always did with bears: a few blows exchanged, and then the inevitable death blow. She never drew it out; she respected the animals too much to see them suffer only to prove strength she already knew she had. She killed as few of them as possible.

But this time, when she charged, the bear caught her with intelligent eyes. When she was close enough, she swung her ax, only for the bear to catch the ax between both massive forepaws and release a mighty bellow. Surprised but undaunted, Lynissara launched herself forward in a flipping jump, the ax spinning in the bear's grip and forcing it to release the weapon. She landed and twirled around so she was facing her enemy once more; as she brought down the ax in a promising blow, the bear suddenly vanished- in its place stood a night elf: a blasted druid!

A new rage filled the blood elf at the sight of the Alliance man, and she launched herself at him; he caught every swing of her ax on a metal-plated staff. Lyn focused all her efforts, drawing from the Light to power her attacks. A golden glow emitted around her ax- she and the druid both saw it at the same moment. She drew back further for a more powerful swing, but before she could land it, the druid's staff swung around and caught her heels, and as she landed on her back another blow across her skull knocked her unconscious.

Immediately, her mind went blank.

When she came to, Lyn's vision was blurry. She could see she was in a small room with a fireplace, lying on a bed, and there were typical furnishing lining the walls- a table, a bookshelf, a wardrobe, the usual, all in human fashion, not uncommon for Silverpine. A tall, broad-shouldered figure stood before the fireplace, his back to her; her eyes focused slightly- the night elf. Lynissara leapt to her feet, reaching for a skinning knife by the door; her head swam and agony shot through it, but the night elf had turned at the sound of her standing. He whirled around, grabbing his staff, and stared at her with wide yellow eyes.

A moment of timeless wonder gave her pause. He was more handsome than any man she had ever seen, with angular features consisting of a long, straight-bridged nose; a wide mouth with thin, shapely lips; a stout, square chin at the end of a tapering jaw; and sallow cheeks overshadowed by bold cheekbones. His large, deep-set eyes stared at her from beneath long, feathery dark blue eyebrows that matched the waist-length straight hair that framed his face. His stout, tall figure was exposed by a tight, light-brown leather jerkin, matching padded boots and gloves, and close-fitting dark green pants.

Perhaps it was her head injury, but she had to admit something: he was beautiful.

It was only by years of training with the slightly-less-beautiful blood elf men that Lynissara managed to sustain a grip on her dagger, but her desire to fight had vanished. She would not kill him, but she needed and answers and may yet still have to fight.

"Wait," he said, in a voice smoky as the fire and deep as the roots of Teldrassil's famous trees, "Please, don't fight."

She gaped, lulled by his voice, but snapped back to composure. This man had already proven to be dangerous. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Please. For one thing, I just saved your life- I could've left you for the worgens, and I didn't have to heal you. That should be reason enough not to fight."

His voice was enchanting her. Must be some weird druid magic. She only barely managed to ask, "Why did you heal me, then?"

He looked away, lips parted, as if seeking a different reason. His amber gaze met hers again. "I- I couldn't leave you to die. Maybe I'm a traitor, a fool, or just plain mad, but I couldn't do it."

"Mercy, then? Or sympathy caused by self-righteousness?"

"Call it love at first sight."

Now true surprise rocked her. She floundered for a response, and found none. Had she heard that correctly?

"That aside," he continued, seeming abashed, "What is a blood elf doing involved with the Forsaken? That ax of yours tells me you are no mere hunter, and yet I cannot see your kind willingly fighting the undeads' war."

Lynissara's eyes shot wide at his words as something hit her, and she glared at him. "Where is my ax!?"

"Safe- put away until you aren't likely to use it on me. But you didn't answer my question yet, either."

She felt mocked, and continued to glare. "Will I get my ax back if I play nice and cooperate?"

"Yes."

She huffed; might as well tell the truth. What had she to lose at this point, having already been imprisoned by a night elf? "I'm looking for my mother; she disappeared in this forest long ago. My abilities as a paladin and my duty to the Horde drew me into this war, and I've seen too much death come of this to back out now. And what about you? What's a night elf doing out here?"

Curiosity softened her tone toward the end, and she saw the change register in his face. He cleared his throat. "I had a call from Elune to come out here, I assumed because of the war; now I wonder if you are the reason I was drawn to this forest. Tell me about your mother."

Lynissara was desperate at this point to find her mother, desperate enough to trust a night elf. "Her name is Adonyca. She has crimson hair, and would be middle-aged by now. She is a fearsome warrior, known throughout the Horde for her heroism and integrity. She disappeared in search of my father, a Blood Knight who had been rumored to be in these parts at the time. No one has seen either since."

He pondered this a moment. "Any other information?"

Lyn shook her head. "My uncle raised me, and would never tell me more. He, too, disappeared, having set off after my mother once he deemed me old enough to survive without him. He left me in the car of the Blood Knights of Silvermoon." She paused, wondering why she was giving away so much information to a complete stranger. _Druid magic! At work again!_ "Why do you want to know?"

"The honest truth is that I want to help you. Have you no family at all?"

Lyn lowered herself back to the edge of the bed, setting down the skinning knife on the end table and looking at the floor. "Well, no, not that I know of. I've made a living on my own, though, and my own family."

His voice was gentle. "Then why do you so desperately still seek a family?"

Lyn looked up, feeling a boulder in her chest. Pity filled the night elf's expression in the soft downward curve of his mouth and tilt of his long eyebrows; he stepped forward, and then paused.

"May I-" he hesitated again, "You just look so incredibly sad; would it be too bold to ask if I may hold you for a moment?"

Lynissara composed herself and stood quickly. "It would definitely be too bold. I'm a proud member of the Horde, a Blood Knight fighting for the Banshee Queen herself, and you're a member of the Alliance. This is already beyond dishonorable, and it shouldn't have happened at all. I should have killed you earlier." She softened. "But I couldn't- I still can't. There's something about you stopping me from seeing you as an enemy, no matter how hard I try or how much I remind myself you're Alliance. You've made me vulnerable; perhaps I should run far away from you, or perhaps you'll kill me still- and yet I don't believe you will. Why is that?"

He walked to her, taking her hand. "Because you also feel a connection here, inexplicable and perhaps a bit wrong, but undeniable all the same."

She sighed, looking at his chest, and found a desire to hold him and be held by him. In a massive force of will, she stepped back, releasing his hand. She looked up at him. "Meet me tonight; if the connection is real, you'll find me. If not, well… I don't want to kill you." She changed tone. "Regardless, I must be going; they're bound to have noticed me missing by now."

Wordless and somewhat standoffish, he opened the wardrobe and withdrew her bag and ax; she took both and strapped her bag into place and held her ax in hand, and then looked at him one last time. _Why him? Why a night elf? I've never had these conflictions about a blood elf, or even an orc or troll or tauren._ Turning, she strode out, into a chilly Silverpine afternoon. She recognized where they were, in a small grove not far from the Sepulcher, up in the hills.

"Wait!"

Lynissara halted, glancing over her shoulder to see him standing in the doorway of the small building; she longed to touch his lips.

"What's your name?" He called.

"Lynissara. What's yours?"

"Aldonn. Farewell, 'Nissa- Elune willing, we shall meet again."

"Tonight."

x~x

 _Eversong Woods_

Aladey Goldsong was at her limit of buffoonery. If one more novice asked in an agility elixir contained lynx blood, she would fireball the whole damn place. She wasn't even an alchemist! As it was, attempting to calm down by twirling a small fire orb over her palm was only further encouraging the idea of torching the academy.

"Goldsong!" Novice Renala called, "Headmaster wants you!"

"Finally," the mage muttered, rising to her feet. It had been hinted by higher-ups that she would soon be promoted, and thus freed of the idiocy now plaguing her. Staff in hand, she collapsed the fire orb and started toward the Headmaster's office, a short walk down the paved hallway. She entered the cool-colored room to see the headmaster, Magister Eronas, standing behind his desk with his back to the door; he turned at her entry.

"Ah, good, Aladey- I've been meaning to talk to you. You're eighteen now, correct? Of age?"

She nodded.

"Good, good! And you've been staying here with us since you were only seven- eleven years. Quite a long time for you to have still not contributed a whole silver to the school, isn't it?"

"Magister-"

"I know, I know- you're poor, your family is poor, you've nowhere else to go… But do you really think you're the only poor young mage to seek shelter here? Unfortunately, your free ride is over. You'll have to find someone else to freeload off of."

He paused while the words registered. Aladey stared at her feet in shock, and then looked up at him, feeling wounded. "You're… Kicking me out?"

"I am. I'll also need that robe back."

"You're kicking me out without even clothing? Do you want the staff, too?"

He smiled and nodded. "As a matter of fact, yes, I do! We need all of our supplies back eventually, you know this. As you've made no attempt to make something of yourself outside of the academy, we've come to a decision to rid our academy of you. Your kind- the poor, freeloading, searching-for-an-easy-ride kind- simply aren't welcome at Farthrian anymore. You may still keep your title of Assistant Professor, but you may not keep anything else. As a matter of fact, we will require you to sign this waiver saying you will not slander the school's name. Failure to sign it results in imprisonment, as you are still under our authority."

Shocked disbelief carried Aladey to the desk, where she signed the paper in frustrated resignation. There was no use fighting it; once the magister had decided something, the decision was made and would not be thought over anymore. She stepped back and forced herself into the quiet composure she had learned over the years among magisters far better than she. "May I keep my robe and staff until I can find a replacement? You may have them back by the end of the week if I can't."

"You may, in fact. That much I _can_ agree to. But as your replacement arrives at the end of the week, if we don't have those items back, you will be branded a thief and, again, imprisoned."

She nodded stiffly. "Very well. I'll be going, then."

"Oh, Aladey- one thing. You have always believed your only family to be your grandmother in Fairbreeze, but we searched our records and that is not the case. I would advise a stop by the census; search for Reneiran Goldsong."

 _Reneiran? Ren- Mother had always called him Ren._ "My father?"

"Yes! I believe the census office will hold your family tree, and you may or may not have a well-endowed cousin who can assist you. Farewell, now."

She was blasted out the door, where she landed against the far wall of the hallway while the door slammed. A few novices poked their heads around the corner of the hall. She glared at them. "Back to work, all of you!"

She started for her quarters, her mind reeling.

 _A cousin? Mother had never mentioned- but then, Mother knew precious little of Father. I suppose that's what happens when you're courted for a moon and then give yourself up like that. A cousin, though, really? Do they know about me? Do I know them? Who are they? Obviously a blood elf, but- are they from around here? He said they're well-endowed._

Only one way to find out.

"Here."

The secretary slammed a packet of parchment papers down.

"This is all records related to Reneiran Goldsong," the elderly woman said in a tone that spoke of her exasperation for Aladey's existence. Aladey took the papers and went and sat on the bench; night had fallen over the Eversong region, but it made no difference in Silvermoon, where the lights of the city and the close, bright moon kept the streets well-illuminated no matter the hour. Aladey took a close look at the papers, and realized the fine print and countless logs would do her no good. It would be a tedious task to find any information from this.

Some hours later, she found the name Lynissara Redwind, supposedly once in the care of Reneiran Goldsong. Lynissara had been left with the Blood Knights; that was the last record left- a document showing the exchange of guardianship. Would she still be there? The Blood Knights were in the city, not too far out. How late was it? Some must be awake still, surely. But then, as a yawn stretched her jaws, Aladey thought it better to rest at the nearby inn and search in the morning. But when the fee proved too much for her measly coinpurse, she retired on a bench.

Come morning, the young mage straightened herself up and returned the papers to the census office, and then headed out. It didn't take long to find the Blood Knight order's headquarters, a large building containing living quarters, training areas, a mess hall, and a visitor's center. She went to the visitor's center first, and saw a young, bored blood knight novice leaning against the wall. She approached him.

"Hi, I, um- I'm looking for Lynissara?"

She had said Lin-ih-sarr-a, which was apparently incorrect, as the blood knight corrected, "Lin-ees-er-ah?"

"Yes?"

"Redwind?"

"Yes! You know her?"

"Knew," he corrected. Aladey's hope sunk to her stomach, but rose as he continued, "She left some moons ago, helped out at Sunstrider Isle and then made off for Tirisfal Glades last I heard. You'll want to talk to her old mentor, Lord Irador. He should be downstairs; I'll go fetch him. Or would you rather sit down for breakfast? It's free if you're with us."

She nodded. "I would prefer to eat, if it's not too much trouble."

He smirked, a flirty expression on his face. "For you, nothing's too much trouble."

He headed off and she resisted a groan. Damned blood elf men, always flirting. She waited impatiently, arms crossed and foot tapping, for his return. After a moment, he ran back up and waved her over; she followed him downstairs and in the lower level saw the eatery. He led her to a table with a stately, older knight- Lord Irador, she presumed- sitting down for breakfast. Another plate was being set down by a servant as she approached. She sat and the younger knight winked and walked away.

"Ignore Bleswyn, he's insolent," the older knight said. "I'm Lord Irador. And who are you, that visits us so early asking about my old apprentice?"

She summed herself up, squaring her shoulders. "My name is Aladey Goldsong. Let me say this quickly: my mother was a young, inexperienced farm-girl and was wooed by Reneiran Goldsong, and I was born; Reneiran Goldsong's sister was Aldonyca Redwind, originally Aldonyca Goldsong, the mother of Lynissara Redwind. I have no family to speak of except a wayward grandmother who receives money from the city to sew gloves to keep her from going batty and leaving her house, and I only just learned this morning of Lynissara, who would be my cousin. I know nothing of her, though, except that we're cousins and she was raised by my father and then given to the Blood Knight Order. I'm hoping to find answers, and perhaps meet my family."

Lord Irador nodded once. "And it has nothing at all to do with her recent elevation of status?"

"I wasn't aware her status was recently elevated."

He nodded, and leaned forward. "Let me make you aware of something, miss. Lynissara Redwind was one of the most promising individuals to ever enter this building. I was hard on her, diligently so, from the start, because I knew it was the only way to discipline someone so eager. She trained harder than any other apprentice I've ever seen, including myself, and proved time and time again how determined she was to fight for the Horde, honor her mother and father, and eventually find her mother. When she was old enough, I arranged for her to travel to Sunstrider Isle and begin her real training, and told her she would never be required to return here afterward. Her mother disappeared when she was an infant, running off into Silverpine Forest in search of her father, one of our own Blood Knights- we've known for a long time that he is dead. The Order can feel it when one of their own dies. Nonetheless, Aldonyca would not listen to us, and chased after him. Now, Lynissara has gone off in search of her mother; she made a name for herself among the undead in Tirisfal Glades to ascertain she would be sent to Silverpine, and now she is one of the most prominent members of the Dark Lady's army, basically fighting the war for them. She is also a member of a very successful guild, and it's no secret that the higher-ups in that guild have granted her a large sum of money as well as supplies to better her trade. If your desire to meet with Lynissara is to gain money from her, then you are abusing the generosity of a paladin who wants only one thing from this world."

"That being?"

"Family."

Aladey cleared her throat. "Sir- Lord- I assure you, as someone who has grown up as I have, having lived ostracised in a magic academy for eleven years, I, too, desire family more than anything else. But as it stands, I have just been kicked out of my home, without even the clothes on my back. I have to return this robe and staff by the end of the week or I will be branded a thief and imprisoned. I would love to meet my cousin, and will repay her as soon as I can, but as it stands she is my last lifeline."

Lord Irador nodded once. "I will tell you this, then, mage. Sunstrider Isle is and likely always will be problematic, and the best advice I can give you is to send her a letter and then follow in her footsteps. Journey to Sunstrider Isle and do what you can there; I guarantee you will leave with a new robe and staff. In the meantime, the Order can supply you food for the journey until you can afford your own. Our Senior Officer Eisanor was also born in poverty, and he is now one of the highest ranking officers within the order. If he can make it, then I'm sure a Goldsong can. Go, make a name for yourself; here is the copper for postage. Send a letter to your cousin. Make things happen."

Aladey accepted the thirty copper with a nod. "I'll pay you back-"

He held a hand up. "Don't, it's fine. I ask only that you put it to good use. Finish eating, and eat your fill. You've a long journey ahead."

The way he said it implied more than simply to Sunstrider. Aladey watched him stride off, and knew he was right. There would be a long road ahead of her, and, poor or not, she would have to find a way.

With a sigh, she finished breakfast. Here's hoping Lynissara is less serious than that fellow.

 **A/N:** I have recently rediscovered my love of WoW, and thus spent the entire past weekend playing and creating backstories for my new blood elves. Ah, I love them. 3

~This story will contain violence (It's _World of Warcraft_ based, what do you expect?) and interracial relationships. Possibly a same-sex relationship, but I haven't decided for sure where that character is going yet.

Anyhow! Please enjoy. Don't forget to fave/follow/review!


	2. Chapter Two: I Just Wanted To Fish

Chapter Two: I Just Wanted To Fish

 _Lion's Pride Inn, Goldshire, Elwynn Forest_

The inn swelled with inhabitants of all races and proficiencies; Delaeda watched them scurry to and fro, observing the habits of these oddities. The hunter at the bar, another night elf like her, had just downed his eighth ale. By the fireplace, a gnome with a curly mustache was relentlessly attempting to woo a bashful, half-dressed human woman. In the chair next to her, a hefty draenei warrior had been smoking a pipe since sunset; as for her, Delaeda Oakshadow had been attempting to mend the half-torn sole of her left boot. She sat barefoot, one boot in her lap and the other on the floor next to her, in a simple green robe that almost matched her long, free-flowing bright green hair. Her pale purple skin was stretched taut on her face, her features the image of focus.

"You look to be working mighty hard over there."

She glanced up at the voice- the draenei- and continued to mend. "Yes, I am. Stormwind City lacks the upkeep it onces held, and a nail in the auction house floor broke my boot, I'm afraid. As I'm no tailor, this is not easily remedied."

"May I have a try at it?"

She glanced at him, a small, lopsided grin curving her mouth. "With your sizely hands, I'd imagine you have difficulty dealing with small things like needles."

He grinned heartily. "I assure you, I may be large, but I have no trouble with smaller… Things."

She laughed, passing him the boot and sewing kit. "Here, give it a go, Mister Big-and-Chivalrous."

"I assure you, chivalry is merely in my nature, as is being big. It's no tool of seduction."

She raised her eyebrows; he passed her the pipe and set to work on the boot. She placed it between her lips and asked, "What is it you're _seducing_ me to do?"

"Only give me the pleasure of your company, of course. You're required to do nothing, least of all allow me to seduce you. However," he pulled the thread through in a flourishing motion, "You've only to ask and I shall seduce you _thoroughly._ "

Before more words could be spoken, the hunter drinking himself into an Eternal Dream turned and shouted across the bar, "Del'da! Wher' your brother? He's always here-" hic! "-On Friday nights!"

Delaeda laughed. "Oh, he's off on some adventure, I'm sure, Juralen. Last he told me, Elune had sent him off to Silverpine Forest."

"You should bring 'im back! He's- so much fun to be around!" The night elf hiccuped again, so violently he nearly fell off the chair.

"Del'da, is it?" The draenei asked, handing the night elf girl a perfectly mended boot. She looked at it with surprise, her jaw dropping, and pulled the boot back onto her foot.

"Delaeda, actually," she corrected. "My friend at the bar is quite intoxicated and thus has been rendered incapable of proper speech."

"Is this a friend or a _friend?"_ The draenei asked, and Delaeda smiled at him, somewhat surprised.

"Good sir, is that a hint of jealousy? You haven't known me long enough for all that, have you?"

"Jealousy? No, my good lady, it's only a natural aggression in response to the idea that a drunk had the opportunity to lay with such a fine woman, and yet I struggle to find my usual suaveness around her. To know that such low-seeming competition may have succeeded where I may not is a wound to my pride, and I am, therefore, entitled to a certain level of irritation."

"Well," Delaeda pulled her bootlaces tight and sat back, slinging one elbow over the back of her chair and facing the draenei more fully, "I can assure you he has not succeeded in accessing my 'small things', but you have so far proven adequate- let's find out if you're proficient, shall we? And perhaps in the morning, you can accompany me as I begin my journey to Silverpine. I've a missing sibling who I'd quite like you to meet."

x~x

 _Silverpine Forest - The Sepulcher_

"Where's that self-righteous blood elf?"

Lynissara rolled over and sat up, sleep instantly gone as she called out, "For the last time, the spell 'Righteous Fury' does not make me self-righteous! Now what do you need?"

She grabbed her ax and clasped her cloak on; at this point, she slept fully-dressed. Stepping out, she saw the undead mail carrier at the mailbox. "Mail for you, miss."

She strode over, ignoring his comments about her being self-righteous, and grabbed the envelope and opened it, expecting something from her guild-master. Instead, she found a letter from an Aladey Goldsong. Curious, she sat down inside the inn and began to read.

Lynissara,

I apologize for not having written sooner; I only just learned of your existenee. Due to our complete lack of ever having met or written, I assume that you, also, never knew of our relation. My father was Reneiran Goldsong, and his sister was Aldonyca Redwind, your mother. My father wooed a poor farm girl and then, shortly after, disappeared. We never heard from him again; I don't know that he even knows of my existence.

I have recently been thrown out of the academy that held me while I was without family. After my mother died at age seven, I was left with only a delirious grandmother, and so I joined an academy of magic on scholarship. They realized I was of age and still had no money, and now I'm on my own. The problem is that my only belongings are from them, and the Headmaster requries that I return even the clothes on my back. I'd rather not run around nude, but as I had to borrow even the copper to send this letter, I don't have much choice. I hate for this to be the way we came into contact; I would rather be able to meet with you, bring you into the academy, sit you down for a meal- but I'm poor, and I've heard you may be able to help me some. I will repay you every copper I earn once I have any to spare, but please, cousin- help me.

I'm desperate.

Dearly,

Aladey Goldsong

Lynissara took a deep breath. This was not what she had expected. _A cousin?_ The sound of the convoy from Sepulcher to the Northern Front rumbling by drew her from her thoughts and she noticed the time- almost nightfall. She raced outside. "Mail carrier! Deathguard Gnarl! Give me a moment to write a reply, please."

He grumbled but waited, and Lynissara stashed the letter with her belongings in the inn, and then quickly scrawled a reply.

Dear Aladey,

I can't honestly say I believe you completely, due to the circumstances, but as it stands Uncle Ren was very much the type of man that he would have had a child and never known. I apologize on his behalf; if I had any idea of his whereabouts, I would kick him in the groin for his abandonment, intended or not.

I'm currently in the midst of a war, as I'm sure you've heard if you've tracked me down enough to mail me. I can, however, send you money. Don't worry about being poor or out of clothing; I'll send you what I can, but it will be limited until I meet with you. You have no doubt heard that I have recently come about having a large sum of money from my guildmaster, but I will not share this until I ascertain our blood relation. For now, take this, and good luck.

Your Cousin,

Lynissara

The paladin enclosed a gold piece and packed a small box with forty sheets of linen, and then sent both to the mail carrier, paying the postage. She headed out to the road, where Deathguard Rogby regarded her with a wary glance from empty eye sockets.

"Where you off to, blood elf?"

Lynissara sighed. "My name, for the thousandth time, is Lynissara. I'm only going to patrol the lake; we're far too close not to."

"A death guard patrol already has that route tonight."

"And an extra watch never hurt, did it?"

She strode off, ax in hand, daring the deathguard to continue his questioning. He remained silent, and she disappeared into the tall, moon-bathed pines. The tall grass bent aside as she walked, and she ended up by the shore of the lake. She was looking up at the moon, whenever she heard someone stepping softly on the grass, striding through the trees. She ducked behind a nearby pine, and then glanced around it, eyeing the forest. There- a tall, dark figure walked hunched over, trying to be silent and failing. She crept through the trees, lacking the grace of an actual rogue but carrying the usual blood elven lightness of foot, and made her way around behind the figure. Male- shadowy- hooded- cloaked. What weapons had he stashed? He wasn't Horde, or he wouldn't be so afraid. Deathguard Rogby needed to doublecheck if he thought the patrol would catch every lurker.

Lynissara rushed the figure once she was close enough, pulling him back against her and holding her ax to his throat.

"Lynissara?"

At the voice, she immediately withdrew, and the night elf turned around to face her. He sighed in relief and hugged her tightly, surprising her into standing stiff. "Aldonn, I- my ax is still in my hand-"

"Oh, right, sorry." He released her long enough for her to sheathe the ax at her back and then hugged her again, and pulled back and smiled. "Believe in the connection now?"

She smiled back at him. "I suppose I might, but I still need a little more convincing."

He stepped closer, still grinning. A kind of nervous energy bubbled around them, tinged with excitement and brimming with eagerness. "I may know a way to convince you more strongly."

"What would that be?"

"Would you let me kiss you if I tried?"

She debated. "Perhaps. But maybe not yet?"

"Wait, sh," he said, looking around warily. She glanced around- a breeze carried the smell of death.

"The deathguard patrol. Quickly, come with me!"

Lynissara took the night elf by the hand and sprinted through the trees, leading him to a hollowed-out oak, a rarity in this forest. They stepped inside the circular opening, standing quiet in the shadows. The deathguards started past and she stared up at the night elf, appreciating this moment that allowed to her to stare at him. She knew her own expression was slightly fearful, but his was a look of quiet contemplation, his eyebrows creased and mouth a tight line as he stared down at her. She raised a hand tentatively, and rested it on his forearm, and then trailed upward. He closed his eyes, breathing carefully through his mouth as she slowly grazed her fingers over the hard muscles of his arm, up to his leather-covered shoulder, and then to his chest, and up to his neck, her hand under his hair. She held the warm skin in her palm, and then carefully allowed her fingertips to caress his face.

The deathguard was approaching, almost to their tree, when he suddenly threw on his hood and turned so that his back was to the outside and she was pinned against the tree. He pressed close to her, his head turned sideways so he could listen, and she felt his warmth against her whole body and resisted a shiver. The deathguard passed, and he stepped back after a moment and looked down at her. A feeling passed between them, as clear and real as the tree they stood inside, and he stared at her with an unfathomable intensity.

"Please be mine," he whispered. "I'm begging you, Lynissara. I have no idea why, or how, but I need you with me, always."

Part of her longed to say yes, but the feel of the mail on her chest and the heavy battleaxe on her back reminded her of who she was. "I can't," she whispered softly. "I'm so sorry."

He sighed and leaned close to her, bracing himself against the tree. His amber eyes looked fervently into her glowing green gaze. "Lynissara, you have awoken in me a beast I never knew existed. Even as a druid, I have never felt something so primal. I _ache_ for you. It isn't sexual; don't think that of me. I mean only to love you, as I believe I am meant to."

"What would come of it?" She asked. "Half-bred children, torn between factions? One of us permanently dishonored and never to return home? I've only just learned of a cousin I have, and I'm sure you aren't completely without a family. Tell me of some happy outcome and I might consider it, but until you do, I cannot promise anything."

"There are faction-neutral places we could go," he said. "Shattrath City, Dalaran, the Outlands- it isn't all war."

"Right now, for me, it is."

"Please, 'Nissa, consider it."

She stared at him, feeling in herself the same things he was expressing: inexplicable desire to be with the other. She finally relented some. "I will. Please, keep meeting up with me?"

Relief caused him to sag and he leaned against the tree. "I will." He brightened. "Come now, let us venture into the night- I'd like to be able to sit down with you, maybe have a drink, and get to know you one-on-one."

x~x

 _Eversong Woods_

Faradin Mesamoon had only desired a nice evening fishing in Eversong Woods. Instead, he now heard the sound of screaming- _again._ This seemed to happen every time he dared try for a peaceful evening. Perhaps it was his fault. The tauren couldn't remember ever angering the gods to the point of gaining that curse, but he figured the best way to redeem himself would now be to find the source of the screaming and help whoever needed it.

It was going to be a long night, he was sure.

It didn't take long to find the source of the screams- twenty paces over the rise of a hill and he spotted a young, red-haired blood elf girl sprinting from the Dead Scar with ten rotlimb marauders chasing after her. Faradin, suppressing a sigh, ran forward to greet them, using the battleax he had found by the pond, and landed himself between the girl and the beasts. In one fell swoop, he decapitated seven; his owl, Greywing, took out two more while he landed a blow in the skull of the last. The marauders successfully dispatched, he turned to face the girl, who was staring at him in awed disbelief.

She was very pretty; maybe seventeen or eighteen, she had crimson hair pulled into a bun, soft features, round cheeks, big green eyes, and- adorably- freckles. She was tiny, even for a blood elf, and her slight frame was exposed by the flowing purple robe she wore.

"You look like you need a drink," Faradin commented.

Predictably, she went straight to the defense. "Is that supposed to be an insult?"

He chuckled. "It's supposed to be an offer."

"Oh," she said. "I don't have any money-"

"I'm offering, blood elf," he reminded her. "That means I'll pay. Would you like a drink?"

She glanced at the semicircle of corpses again. "What was your name again?"

He gave her a toothy grin, the only kind taurens can give. "Faradin Mesamoon."

"Aladey Goldsong. I suppose if the man who just saved my life wants to buy me a drink, I should let him."

"Good! Pleasure to meet you." He held out an arm. "Shall we?"

She nodded, taking the arm he offered with red cheeks and starting off toward Falconwing Square.

x~x

 _Elwynn Forest_

Morning offered a golden sun in Elwynn Forest when Delaeda woke, curled up to the draenei from the night before. At the awareness that they didn't do anything like they had hinted at, she thought back to the night before. She remembered talking a lot, and laughing a lot, and dancing out by Crystal Lake, and him kissing her out there, and then kissing a _lot_ and falling into bed, and talking until they fell asleep about everything under the moon.

She propped herself up on her elbow, looking at him, and the motion woke him. His eyes opened and he smiled at her, and then wrapped his big arms around her and pulled her back to him.

"Good morning, beautiful," he greeted her, in his accented draenei voice. She laughed lightly.

"Good morning, handsome."

"Want breakfast?"

She nodded, lifting up enough to look at him. "One thing, first."

He continued smiling at her. "What is it?"

"What was your name again?"

He released a boisterous laugh. "What was yours?"

Two hours later, Delaeda and Brunen were heading out, he on his elekk and she on her dawnsaber. It would be a long journey, but it was time to find out what trouble her brother had gotten into; Aldonn had a knack for falling into the worse sorts of messes, like the time he attempted to convince Tyrande Whisperwind to make an alliance with the Scryers of Shattrath. She had taken the responsibility long ago of ascertaining her older brother wasn't off befriending giant spiders or learning how to spread the Forsaken plague. And now, she had a good traveling companion to make the journey with her.

x~x

 _Silverpine Forest_

There were so many dead.

Lynissara gaped at them all, grief-stricken and horrified; she had never expected to see so many of her brothers-in-arms fall. The farm was littered with the dead, and around them the humans so casually continued their work, as if the corpses of those who had once been like them were meaningless. It was sickening- and infuriating.

Following the Banshee Queen's orders had never been so easy.

Battle-rage consumed the paladin, the Light evading her in her mindless fury. She charged, attacking every human in sight; she was only vaguely aware of their terror and blood spatters, but of anything else she knew nothing but vengeance. She didn't stop until all humans on the farmstead were slaughtered. Still shaken but more calm, she collected the insignias of her dead brothers, as well as pumpkins and herbs for the apothecary, and then left that awful place far behind her. The return journey involved fighting off multiple worgens, and pausing a few times to collect minerals from the surrounding hills. She arrived back at the Sepulcher to find the troops mobilized; a word from Lady Sylvanas verified they were heading south, closer to Gilneas, to continue the war. Lynissara turned in the insignias and farm goods, and then gathered her belongings from the inn and fell in with the others.

Walking left her mind to roam, and roam it did. Two images repeatedly occupied her mind: the dead at the farm, and the night elf Aldonn. She couldn't explain the bond she felt with him, or the way he made her forget everything she stood for. She was a Blood Knight in service of the Horde, trying to find her parents and serve the Dark Lady, not a lovestruck maiden- and yet, around Aldonn, she was just Lynissara, an elf with a longing heart. He claimed to feel the same, but her inability to trust had valid foundations; still, they had spent most of the past night talking about anything and everything, up in the hills under the moonlit purple sky. He was fascinating; her primarily avoided war, instead preferring to find places in need of defense or a restoration of natural balance. It was so different from the way Lyn had been trained to think, that to fight in a war was the ultimate honor. She was learning more and more that the only glory in war was retaliation, and even that left a bitter taste. Killing those humans had brought no true pleasure, aside from knowing her comrades were avenged. At this point, however, she had seen too many similar scenes to simply go home and leave this war to sort itself out. She would still be haunted, but less so if she knew it hadn't been in vain. Victory was the only option.

They reached the new camp and she set to work, dog tired but aware this was almost over- the whole war, that is. She fought worgens and revived orcs with ale and did odd jobs until night fell, at which point she fell deeply asleep in her own tent.

She woke to a dark shadow in her tent- _who, and why?_ He was an orc, she could tell from his shape, and not yet aware she was awake. He was taking off his belt; she was then aware of his intentions. She formed a plan: once he was naked, overpower him and expose him to the whole camp for what he was. But he had just unbuttoned the top button of his pants when a dark, feline shape leapt from the shadows by her bags, tackling the orc. Without a sound, the saber tore out the orc's throat, and then looked at Lynissara with glowing amber eyes before dragging the corpse into the forest and vanishing.

x~x

Sunstrider Isle greeted Aladey much more kindly than the academy had said goodbye. She spotted Magistrix Erona, the twin sister of Aladey's former Headmaster, and made her way over, reaching the woman in little time.

"You must be the new recruit Lord Irador promised," the magistrix greeted her, and then looked the mage up and down. "You don't look like a paladin."

Aladey shrugged. "I'm not- I'm a mage. Lord Irador did a favor for me in recommending me."

"And what did you do for him to earn a favor?"

At the judgmental look the magistrix was giving her, Aladey tried not to glare and said, "I'm not a whore, if that's what you're saying."

"No, sorry," Magistrix Erona amended, "I had a crush on him as a young girl. Anyway, you're here for work, correct?"

 _Finally, we're getting to the point._ "That's correct."

The magistrix looked around the isle as she spoke. "You've come to the right place- we desperately need skilled help. Look around: this whole isle is tainted. Our current most urgent problem is the swarm of mana wyrms taking over our power crystal over there. If you can help take care of them, I'll reward you. They also have a habit of ingesting our supplies; we don't really want them back, but if you find anything of value, you may keep it or sell it, depending."

"Will do."

Magistrix Erona nodded, signalling she was done talking, and Aladey started off, glad to have a job to do. She saw a squire ride in with a bag of letters, and hoped something there would be for her.

It didn't take long to clean out the mana wyrms, with the pyro-based spells she had studied for so long. She managed to find gloves and boots on the wyrms, and kept them. Once she had vacated the area around the power crystal, she made a quick trip to the salty northern coastline of the isle and leaned her new gear. She immediately put them on , stashing the academy boots in her bag and realizing the academy didn't even give her gloves.

Upon returning to the main gazebo, Aladey sold what she didn't need, bringing her coinpurse up to a whole silver. Magistrix Erona granted her a magic-enhancing belt as a reward, and then promptly sent Aladey on the painstakingly-easy task of downsizing the lynx population. This also got the young mage more money, and a better pair of boots from the Magistrix. Aladey finally felt that she was progressing in the world.

As night began to fall, she sat down on the steps of the gazebo, eating a tough hunk of bread (her only food all day). The sound of great hooves announced the arrival of Faradin; after talking most of the night and him surprisingly not hitting on her, Aladey had come to like the sienna-toned tauren with his big, warm brown eyes. The tauren had said he would stay in Eversong for her, at least until he knew she wouldn't get chased down by the Wretched and run screaming the forest "again." He also said he would return her things to the academy for her as she didn't need the, and would come back to visit her at Sunstrider each night. He was on leave from his people for a vacation, and had elected to visit Eversong's legendary forest for fishing; he had openly admitted that the last thing he sought in the forest, however, was a friend.

He greeted her at the steps with a wave, dismounted, and came to sit next to her, grinning widely. "How was your first day here?"

"It went wonderfully," she answered, optimism gripping her. "I killed some mana wyrms and some lynxes, and now have money and gear and a job to do in the morning."

He smiled warmly. "That's great! You'll be rich and independent in no time."

"I hope so. All I want is to be self-sufficient enough not to ask random family members for money."

He placed an arm around her side, his large hand wrapping around her stomach. "No, instead you'll just ask random taurens."

She laughed, leaning into his shoulder. "Just the one."

"Oh, I hope so, as long as that tauren is me."


	3. Chapter Three: Friends

Chapter Three: Big Brown Cow Eyes

 _Silverpine Forest_

"Lynissara! Come here a moment."

Dawn had only just broke over the forest when Lynissara was called to the Banshee Queen. Resisting being nervous, the paladin steeled herself and strode directly to Lady Sylvanas, who regarded her with a blood red stare.

"Yes, milady?" Lynissara greeted her, curtsying.

"You seem distracted these past couple of days. Why is that?"

Lynissara floundered for a response, and then said quickly, "My apologies, milady. I'm not sure if you're aware I've no family speak of; I just learned of a cousin living in poverty in Eversong."

The Dark Lady cocked an eyebrow. "Would you like to go meet her?"

Lynissara knew the right answer and the honest answer to this question would never be the same as long as the war continued. Instead, Lynissara bowed low again and said, "No, milady. My place is here, fighting the war. I should not have let this personal tie distract me from my duty. It won't happen again; my sincerest apologies are offered."

"Your apologies are meaningless, as are your words. I have not had family in centuries, and still I persist, doing what I can for the Forsaken. Do not apologize to me, paladin, but instead show that you deserve my forgiveness. Go, now; you have a special task today." Lynissara straightened up, listening. "There is a camp set up not far from here, outside of Gilneas City, and we have reason to suspect that battle plans can be found here. Go there, find the battle plans, and return them to me. Do this, and I may forgive you for your insolence."

"Yes, milady."

Lynissara bowed again and started off through the forest. Scolded by the Banshee Queen- that was not something she ever desired to have happen again. Lynissara knew Sylvanas had her flaws and had done terrible things, but she also knew the undead elf's true story, of the despair and loss she had suffered at the Lich King's hands- it was no foreign idea to a blod elf. Lynissara sympathized with the Dark Lady's plight and hoped only to gain her approval and help her people gain a home; worgen success in Silverpine would mean a foreign power on the Undercity's doorstep, something that couldn't happen, as well as the Warchief's wrath upon Sylvanas.

And yet Lynissara was bristling at the cold manner in which Sylvanas regarded her; Lynissara had done more for this war than any undead, or even any orc, and had no true obligation to. Lynissara was in this forest to find her mother and perhaps father, not to fight someone else's war, and still had let her duty to the Horde drive her to assist in this. It was to Sylvanas's good fortune that Lynissara had done this, or this war would have been lost long ago- and Lynissara knew that. Sylvanas may not know Lynissara knew that, but she would soon learn if she wasn't careful. Perhaps it was blood elf pride, or perhaps indignation, but Lynissara would not be treated like a common recruit.

She reached the camp in little time, finding it easily, and crept along side-paths and ridges until she saw the captain who carried the plans. She slowly lowered down, dispatching one soldier nearby the three tents where the captain paced with two guards. She could see the battle-plans, in a cylindrical container hanging from his side, stamped with the Gilnean crest. She narrowed her eyes and started forward, staying in the shadows. The captain turned at a crow shooting from a bush, and stepped over, sufficiently hiding himself from his guards; Lynissara launched her attack then.

Her axe bounced off his back in a blow that shot him forward; he whirled around to face her, unsheathing his sword just in time to avoid a blow to his chest. The mail he wore would protect his most vulnerable spots, but she knew the manufacturing style of human armor; there were weak spots, and if she played on them long enough, they would wear him down. _The enemy's weakness is my strength._

She was pulled out of her reflection as his sword came at her again; he attempted to knock her back with his shield, but she only dodged backward, holding her stance with ease.

"Elven filth!" He shouted, and she twirled in response, her axe out, and the blade knocked his elbow and then the chainmail of his side, causing him to fall to the side; he landed in a roll and moved back to his feet.

But he wasn't fast enough- she was faster.

"Selama ashal'anore!" She yelled, landing her axe in his head. His eyes bugged out and he went limp instantly; the blow to his brain would have stopped all feeling. A quick, merciless death for someone who didn't deserve it was not often her practice, but at this point she wanted only to end this war, and the battle plans he had would assist in that endeavor.

Taking the cylinder and stashing it, she crept back out of the camp; they would find their dead on their own time, or the crows would. She started back through the forest, the sun only just beginning to brush the tree-tops, and heard a whisper from above.

"Psst! ...Lyn!"

She glanced up, and saw a familiar figure crouched in a tree. Her eyebrows shot up and she grinned. "Kaloren Sunbranch!? What are you doing out here?"

He grinned and dropped down. "They sent me in as a spy. Wow, you've gotten even _more_ muscular! Damn, girl, the year since Sunstrider has been kind to you. What have you been up to?"

She shook her head. "Kal, you're a poor spy if you're just going to talk to me out in the open like this."

Her fellow blood elf shrugged, his princely features turned to a smile. He pulled his long dark brown hair back into a ponytail. "I'm not exactly on duty right now; I was just scouting the area. Anyway, really, what have you been up to? I've heard all kinds of things- you didn't really save three hundred orcs from spiders, did you?"

"It was thirty."

He grinned at her, amazed. "Lyn, you're even more incredible! And you still aren't going to marry me, huh?"

She laughed and shook her head. "No, Kal, you're just a little too childish for me."

"Damn. You'll still be at my wedding, though, yeah?"

"Of course. In fact, I've just learned of a cousin I have- apparently, she's the beauty of the Sin'Dorei, cute little mage girl from the academy in southern Eversong."

Kal grinned at her. "There's no way she out-beats you, Lyn."

"Ah, she probably does. You always went more for the smaller women anyway, and under this armor I'm as muscular as a man."

"I doubt it. You're still attractive."

A pang of guilt hit the paladin; joking around with Kal like this was fine before, but now she could only think of how Aldonn would feel about it. She sighed. "As it happens, I might have a beau, so you'll have to stop with those comments."

Kal gaped. "What? You really aren't going to marry me, then? I bet he's one of those warlocks, isn't he? You always like the serious, dark, gloomy types."

Lyn rolled her eyes, arms crossed. "Kal, you wouldn't know what my type is, considering I haven't dated since Silvermoon, which was before I met you."

"I saw the longing looks you were giving Lanthan Perilon back in the day."

Lyn's jaw dropped and she rolled her eyes. "Oh, whatever. You were just jealous, Kal. Anyway, I should probably get going- the Dark Lady is mad enough at me without me loitering and exposing her shadows."

He cocked his head to the side. "Why is she mad at you?"

Lyn sighed. "I've been distracted lately, barely sleeping, and concerned about this newfound cousin, and apparently it's detracted from my work ethic. I was reprimanded this morning. If I don't get back soon, I really don't want to know what'll happen to me."

"Get going, then, I won't keep you. But hey, if you're at the front later, save a drink for me, will you?"

Lyn grinned. "Of course, Kal. It's been good seeing you again."

She started off as he scaled back up the tree, and reached the Forsaken camp soon after. She strode directly to Lady Sylvanas and held out the cylinder.

"Gilnean battle plans, milady."

Lady Sylvanas eyed her almost quizzically, and then took the battle plans and read them. Her eyes flitted over the parchment and she nodded, and then stashed the cylinder in her saddlebag and looked back at Lyn. "Lynissara, do you know _why_ I'm so hard on you?"

Lynissara stared. "I would rather hear your own reasoning than assume, milady."

"You are the most promising individual in this entire camp, besides, perhaps, myself, and I've already reached my highest potential. You are a paladin, a culler of the Light, and yet you are still a loyal blood elf, who knows the history of your people and the arcane arts and you do your best to fight for them. You are here in honor of the blood elves, the Blood Knights, the Horde, and, more specifically, me. I have watched you fight, I have seen the rage in your eyes, and I have rarely been so impressed. Nonetheless, I have seen your kind before- a young blood elf paladin, pretty, fresh into the world- get swept off her feet in romance and lose her way. Before the worgens came, Silverpine Forest was a very different place; the paladin Velindrel, who disappeared two years ago, came here in search of honor and glory, as fascinated by my tale as you yourself are. While fighting, she met a troll male who stole her heart; he now sits near the head of the Horde, but she vanished. She had lost herself long before vanishing, unable to continue fighting as she had and instead chasing after the troll. I would hate to lose you to the same fate."

Lynissara nodded. "Lady Sylvanas, with all respect, I see where you're coming from but I must insist my emotions will not belittle who I am. I have fought harder than anyone else here for the Horde's victory, and this is primarily due to the fact that having heard your story, I, too, desperately desire a secure homeland for your people. What has been done to them is an injustice, and they should not be blamed for their fate, nor should they be deprived a homeland or any of the rights or privileges of the other races. The undead are not the filthy, heartless monsters others make them out to be." Lynissara knew she was pushing boundaries, but had come too far now to stop. "Milady, I beg you, do not be misled to think I will let my heart be found anywhere but in this battle. While I will not let myself become consumed with rage and fury, I will also not allow myself to be swayed from this path. Until victory is certain, I am yours."

Sylvanas met the paladin's eyes evenly. "And after?"

Lynissara paused. How far did she dare go? _Not today._ "After this war is complete, I may need time to recover; it has taken its toll on us all, and will only get worse before it gets better- we all know this by now. I hear they're seeking recruits in Stranglethorn, and I've never been there, or even to Durotar. I would quite like to see the world more, take some time to fight where the scenes aren't so gruesome, and then return if you still need me."

Sylvanas nodded once. "I cannot rightfully stop you- though I wish you would stay with my people longer."

"My hope is that by the time I'm done here, your people will not need me as much."

Sylvanas gave Lynissara a surprisingly warm look. "My people will always need you, Lynissara; you have proven that much many times over. I understand your reasoning, but do not delude yourself to think that the undead are not eternally grateful of everything you have done for us."

Lynissara couldn't hold down a smile. "Thank you, milady." She straightened up, trying not to be too moved by the conversation. "Now then, is there anything else that needs doing?"

Lady Sylvanas nodded, looking out toward the west. "There's a higher-up among the Gilneans, a Lord Godfrey, who has been killed. I need his corpse; it would simply _infuriate_ the humans to know that one of their own has become one of us. He could also be a valuable asset, if he has retained information from his prior life. I will send you with Belmont to retrieve his corpse; Belmont knows the way. Stay safe, friend."

 _Friend._

x~x

Delaeda yawned and stretched, sitting up from her sleep and blinking the bleariness from her eyes. Brunen, ever-cuddlier, shifted closer to her thin form in his sleep, pulling his arm tighter around her midsection. He snored, coughed once, and wheezed, as she had noticed he did in his sleep. She rubbed his back some, reaching around, and he coughed a bit more and then smacked his lips and calmed, rolling onto his back. With a small smile, Delaeda eased to her feet and stepped out of their tent, leaving the sleeping draenei there.

They had made good time. After taking the tram from Stormwind to Ironforge, they had crossed the Wetlands yesterday, just barely breaching Arathi Highlands at dusk and setting up camp. They were at the base of the range of hills just across the bridge, and were headed for Galen's Fall at dawn.

As it was, the sun hadn't quite kissed the mountaintops, instead hovering below and only just lightening the dark sky of night. Delaeda had always enjoyed a morning walk, and as Faradin and she were down on food, it seemed reasonable to go for a morning hunt. She stood stalk-still in the breeze, letting the morning air bathe her, cool and crisp and carrying the smell of the hills and the grasses. She inhaled deeply, feeling the earth and herbs and stone wash through her, flooding her completely and trembling through to the ends of her fingertips. Slowly, the morning air, the natural environment, began to prickle along her skin, embolden her, strengthen her; the feeling grew until it had filled her entirely, her eyes closed- or otherwise blinded- from the intensity of the feeling.

The whole process lasted barely two heartbeats, and when it finished, she was no longer an elf: she was a saber.

The druidess, in her more feline form, crept through the tall grasses of the hill until she had reached the nearest hilltop, where she sat and curled her long tail over her paws. Fur ruffling in the wind, she inhaled deeply until a scent crossed her tastebuds, filled her nostrils, and enticed her so that her feline eyes sought it out and caught sight of the large spider enjoying a peaceful morning under a tree. The thought of crunchy spider legs reminded her of learning to cook in Dolanaar, where the local excessive spider population provided plenty of meat. She licked her jaws- only to catch a sharper, fouler scent on the air.

An ogre was creeping up behind the spider.

What seemed like heartbeats later, the ogre was decapitated and the spider had scuttled to safety. To Delaeda's relief, after freeing the spider she had found a pouch of breads and cheeses in the ogre's bag, saving her from going hungry because of what happened. It was a relief, in truth; killing offered no pleasure, merely satisfied a need, no matter how bestial the form she was in.

She returned to Brunen to find him still asleep, but as she was setting down the pouch and unlacing her boots, Brunen's voice rumbled behind her, "Sweetheart, come back, I'm cold."

She smiled, setting her boots down by her bags on the edge of their sleeping-bag. "A big man like you gets cold and expects a thin woman like me to warm him up?"

She could hear the grin in his voice. "Your legs are long enough that they must be hot."

She rolled her eyes, curling up against him. "You'll learn soon enough if you keep talking like that."

He gave a throaty chuckle and snuggled into her, burying his face in her long hair. "Not without you begging me first. If there's any chance you don't want it-"

"And that attitude is why I would. As I said, keep talking like that, I love it."

He smiled, his cheeks rising against her throat. "I'm glad."

They laid there a while longer, and then finally stood and walked to the flap of the tent. Delaeda stood there barefoot for a moment, and then noticed something and tilted her head, scrunching her eyebrows. "Darling, come here a moment."

Brunen stepped out next to her in all his shirtless glory, his blue skin flashing golden in the morning sun. "What is it, sweetheart?" He kissed the side of her head.

"Is that an egg?" She pointed to a round white object under a tree that had caught her eye. "It looks like a spider egg, but…"

"But?"

She quirked her mouth to the side. "I _did_ save a spider this morning from an ogre attack; it's how I got that bread and cheese."

"Cheese and bread? Let's make breakfast."

The egg was forgotten in the face of cheese-stuffed rolls melted over a small campfire, which completely satisfied them both. Afterward, they dressed and packed, rolling up their bedrolls and tent and packing them onto Brunen's elekk. It was as Delaeda turned around from the elekk that she remembered the egg.

"Think we should take it with us?" she asked, and Brunen nodded.

"Let's do it!"

She smirked, traipsing through the tall grass with her dawnsaber following as she called back, "As long as _we_ do something, as well."

x~x

Aladey tossed another blast of flame at the lynx, succeeding in killing it instantly. As she trotted forward to make sure it had nothing of value on its corpse, she heard footsteps approaching; looking up, she spotted a young blood elf warrior approaching. He smiled at her and waved. _Oh, no, it's a blood elf male. I'm going to be flirted with._

He approached and came to a stop. "Hey, did you do that?"

At his gesture to the lynx, she narrowed her eyes. "What do you think?"

He laughed. "That you're much more impressive than I first took you for. Tell me, are you the little mage I've been hearing about that's in need of a new robe?"

She nodded. _This better not be a pick-up line._

"Well," he paused, digging in his bag and then pulling out an unkempt gray and brown robe, "I found this earlier, and I saw you with a chain-vest I could use until I find something better. Trade?"

Aladey cocked an eyebrow. "You're… Genuinely not being terrible?"

He nodded. "I wanted to do what I could to help. I know that's supposed to be a paladin thing, but I was raised this way and wanted to help you."

She smiled, leaning to one side and clasping her hands around her staff. "Want to help me wipe out these lynxes?"

"Of course, for a pretty lady."

Her smile grew. "And what's your name again?"

"Alathan Brightfury."

She held out a hand. "Aladey Goldsong."

He smiled, looking into her eyes, and kissed her hand. "I look forward to seeing more of how… Impressive you are."

And from a safe distance, two big brown cow eyes watched in unspoken jealousy.


	4. Chapter Four: Breaking

Chapter Four: Breaking

Faradin let out a long sigh, looking at the daisy between his too-big thumbs. He was torn between wondering what that blood elf had that he didn't and wondering how he thought he would ever have a chance with a girl that pretty, in a place like this. She would probably choose an orc over a tauren, or even a troll- and that was shallow to think, he knew, but he had fallen so quickly and so unexpectedly. He never even let himself know how much he felt for her until he felt how devastated he was now.

Even now, as night had fallen and he sat on the edge of the hill, she was down below making eyes at him by the pond where they had slaughtered countless tree-spirits. It went against everything he knew to be here.

And why should he be? Why not go home? Mother was at home, and she deserved to have her son back to care for her (though the shaman was, perhaps, more dangerous than he was), and his people needed him as well, as this girl certainly seemed not to. He stood with a sigh and mounted his kodo, only to be pecked by Greywing where she flapped next to him on the hillside.

"I can't, Grey," he apologized. The owl chirped, and he shrugged. "I know you liked her, too."

He kicked his heel and the kodo started off down the hillside; just like that, Faradin was gone, far and away from Aladey.

 _Silverpine Forest_

Lynissara sank to her bottom, pulling her knees to her chest as her face screwed up with tears. There was no hope- no purpose- no reason! There was nothing. There was no life left, only endless fighting, endless blood, endless _war._ Why was there so much war? Why had she desired this lifestyle so strongly? What did had it brought her but pain, strife, and loss? Battle had lost its glory; the Alliance fought dirty and Sylvanas retaliated in an equally horrible manner. There was no fairness, no reason, only _war._

The half-burned-down house she was in served only as a reminder of what she had gotten herself into. The worst part was that there had still been no sign of her parents- the only other blood elves she had seen were here for the war, and very few were actual soldiers. Not to mention _Aldonn._

She was falling in love with a peace-loving Alliance druid in the midst of a war against his faction and everything he stood for. But though her heart was slowly but surely running to him, it was still in the fight, and still she stood with the undead. She would not forsake them as they had been so many times; the Dark Lady needed her, just as Lynissara needed the war. Painful as it may be, this was what she had been born to do- saving the Horde, saving an entire people, from Alliance oppression.

She smoothed her face and squared her shoulders, turning only to see Aldonn standing there. She jolted, reaching for her claymore, and then calmed, lowering her hand. "Aldonn, you- you startled me."

He eyed her. "Why did you reach for your claymore?"

"We're in the midst of a war, if you haven't noticed. Most night elves that sneak up on me are doing so to kill me."

"What if I'm doing so to kiss you?"

"Then that's wonderful but not something I can be made aware of that quickly."

He nodded, stepping over with his arms crossed, and leaned on the wall next to her. "What brought you out here, Nissa?"

She sighed, her thoughts returning, and then sought out that deeply-rooted paladin resolve that carried her through every dark night. "I needed a moment away to collect myself. This war has taken its toll on us all, and I felt myself starting to break- I couldn't let that happen, not with Sylvanas counting on me."

"The so-called Dark Lady depends on you that much?"

Lynissara narrowed her eyes, feeling an instinctive mistrust, something that had never happened before with Aldonn. "She isn't dependent on me, but she is counting on me. I stand as one of her most capable soldiers, but I'm aware that I'm expendable."

"So you know that to her you're just another blade against the Gilneans, of no true consequence?"

 _Friend._ Sylvanas' speech from the previous day returned to Lynissara. "I'm sure that's how it may seem, but the Dark Lady has trusted me with personal information, battle plans, and tasks she doesn't even assign to her own soldiers. I've proven myself capable, so don't pretend that it's because I'm not as good, and I've shown her more than once that I'm willing to fight for her people. She trusts me, in a manner of speaking- not the way you would trust your sister, but in the way you would trust a human to have your back against orcs. We share a common cause and a common enemy, and I'm certain that even after the war she will still share some form of respect for me."

"Who are you trying to convince?"

Lynissara was growing more and more impatient. She needed to _do_ something, to _fight._ "Whoever I want to! You, or me, what does it matter? I'm only trying to sort out my thoughts, that's why I came out here in the first place- and they _were_ sorted before you started asking questions that didn't place into the conclusion."

Aldonn narrowed his eyes. "My apologies for wanting to make sure you were okay."

"By suggesting I'm insignificant?"

"Nissa, you're never going to be insignificant to-"

"To an Alliance druid who hates war. I'm not sure if you've noticed, Aldonn, but I'm a blood knight, and I serve the Horde with pride. What matters to me is my significance among the Horde, my duty to my people. I came here initially to find my mother, and now I have seen far too much death and destruction to just leave this war now. We can't let the Gilneans win after everything they have done."

"And what if I lose you?" He had raised his voice, but his words surprised her. Lynissara was quiet as he continued, "Have you thought of the risk this was puts on you? I know you think you're invincible, Lynissara, that nothing can touch you- but someday something is going to kill you and _I'm_ going to be the one left here without you for eternity. I don't want eternity without you- I want _you_ , Lynissara, you- and I want you alive." He softened, his face crumbling as he took her cheeks in his big hands. "Please, Lynissara. I've told you before that I care about you more than I ever thought I could care about something and that I have no explicable reason for that, but nothing is going to change my feelings at this point. Answer me one thing, then- do you care for me at all?"

Lynissara stared at him for a long moment. Her heart screamed yes; her mind demanded she say no and save them both the trouble. But she couldn't lie to him, despite her misgivings about the whole thing. She sighed, her hand landing on her arm and her head on his chest.

"Yes, Aldonn, I do. In fact, I care for you much more than I think I've ever cared for anyone."

"Why?"

She looked up at him honestly. "Because you're everything I've always wished I could be but never could really be. You're peace-loving, and I'm a soldier by blood. You work with nature and the primal arts; I work with swords and arcane energy. Paladins are users of the Light, yes, but we are not as pure as some others. My kind take advantage of a gift given to us, and that is how I was given this power. That's not to say _I_ stole it, but that my people did, and I inherited this stolen power. Your kind would never do such a thing. And yet I'm loyal to my imperfect, flawed people, to my beloved and misled Horde, no matter what they do wrong. I know their hearts and I see them; I see the good intent behind the bad morality. You cannot blame a troll for having tusks any more than you can blame Sylvanas for wanting her people to retain the home they had before the curse. But the Alliance can and will blame her for that, just as they will fight a troll because he is a troll, regardless of what he has done. If the Horde offers someone a home based on their birth and the Alliance offers them death based on their birth, can you blame that someone for taking the best option?

"And yet here I am. I love my people, I love the Horde, and… I'm falling in love with you, which goes against everything I am. I have the heart of a fighter, and I have a cause to supply it with reason to fight, and should be satisfied. Instead, I'm chasing a dream that can never come true."

He took her hand. "Lynissara, it already has. This dream is already a reality. Can't you see that?"

She shook her head, pulling back. "It isn't a reality until that dream contains peace under which we can be together. Even in faction-neutral places, we can't truly let our affections show, or others of our faction will notice. We'll always have to sneak around."

"Lynissara!"

The call had come from outside the house. Lynissara looked at Aldonn, and he stared at her, kissed her forehead, and then crept into the shadows. Lynissara stepped out to see Belmont stalking down the path to the house.

"There you are, girl!" He called, "I was beginning to worry, until I saw the horse. What're you doing out here?"

She mounted her warhorse and rode over to him. "Heard a tip there might be Alliance spies here. Didn't see any and I searched the whole area. Come on."

Belmont mounted up behind her and they returned to camp. The last thing Lynissara wanted was to return after the realization she was breaking apart, but the last thing she could ever do was abandon this fight now. She had lost too many friends.

"Brunen, come here, quickly!"

The draenei raced forward to where Delaeda knelt next to the egg. Brunen had requested they stop so he could refill his canteen of water, and as they did, the egg had begun to crack. They were at the border of Silverpine Forest and the Hillsbrad Foothills, and it seemed their friend would now be joining them in the world. The cracks on the egg spread as the creature within hit it repeatedly, trying to break free. Finally, the egg burst completely, and a tiny gray and black spider broke out. It crawled immediately to Brunen, who recoiled as the spider wrapped around his foot, petting him gently with its leg.

"It's going to try and kill me."

Delaeda laughed at the paranoid draenei. "Brunen, he likes you, accept it."

Brunen looked up. "Does this make me a daddy now?"

Delaeda grinned. "I suppose it does."

Brunen grinned back and leaned over, kissing her. "I just hope you stay with me to raise it."

 _Don't forget to review/follow/fave! Thanks for reading!_

I don't really quite know where the plot to this is going; I have a vague idea, but suggestions are welcome. I know people are reading this because I've seen the stats- I just need you guys to be a little more audible.

Thanks!

-Hatt


	5. Chapter Five: My Idiot Brother

Chapter Five: My Brother's An Idiot

The mesa greeted Faradin like an old friend. His kodo paused on the rise, and all three- kodo Mudfoot, owl Greywind, and tauren Faradin- observed their homeland with all the warmth of coming home, and then took off at full speed toward the village.

Faradin had traveled all night, but whatever means necessary, to reach his home. He had taken the portal from Silvermoon to Undercity, the zeppelin from Undercity to Orgrimmar, and then crossed the barrens on Mudfoot's back and now- now it was sunrise and he was home. He rode into Bloodhoof Village and dismounted, striding into the large tent at the back. His mother, naturally, was already up, making an omelette of plainstrider eggs. She looked up at his entry and a warm smile crossed her wizened face.

"Faradin!" She greeted him, striding over as fast as she could on aged legs, and embraced him.

Faradin hugged his mother tight. "Hello, Mother. I've missed you."

She smiled broadly. "Come, sit with me while I cook and tell me of your travels."

He agreed and walked over, sitting down next to her cooking fire. As she cooked omelette after omelette, he told her of his travels, of his leave to Silvermoon and Eversong and, most of all, of Aladey. His mother listened understandingly as he told her of the heartbreak associated now with the young, pretty blood elf. His mother sympathized with him.

"Your father, rest his soul, was all in a dither about a pretty hay-colored tauren woman when we were young. I was furious with jealousy, until I realized it was only because he was afraid to commit to me." She reached up, brushing her black bangs from her dark forehead, and then flipped an omelette. Her green eyes shone with wisdom. "Perhaps your Aladey is only confused about what she wants. It seems like it, at least. This blood elf male offers her, potentially, position and reputation among her people, something she needs desperately right now. She may even think you didn't feel anything for her. There's a chance she doesn't even feel anything for him. As it is, however, she's there and you're here and Reagana Owlwind hasn't stopped talking about you since you left."

"Reagana?" Faradin repeated. "The blue-eyed tauren with the pretty dark coat?"

"Mhm. She's been talking about how much she misses training with you, even said her boar, Lighthoof, misses your owl." Greywing chirped from where she sat eating an omelette Mother had tossed her.

Faradin glanced at the doorway, his mind now conjuring images of the pretty huntress out in the dawn mists on the moors, hunting down food for the village. A smile crossed his face. "I'll go talk to her, then. She was always a good friend, and I've admittedly missed her company. I never thought she missed me, though."

His mother tilted her head toward him, smiling. "Glad you returned, then. I've been hoping to see grandchildren eventually, and as your sister Faradin ran away to Durotar I doubt she'll settle down any time soon."

"I wouldn't expect _grandchildren_ any time soon, Mother, but I won't say I'm completely turned off to the idea of spending more time with Reagana. I'll go find her today; perhaps we can patrol together."

 _Silverpine Forest_

Lynissara chuckled. "Kaloren has never been the brightest apple on the tree, you see, and so when we were supposed to be collecting this man's satchel, Kaloren simply charged into a crowd of tainted tenders and grabbed for the satchel. The look on his face when he was being surrounded by aggressive tenders was priceless. I had to swoop in and save the day, naturally, and he declared his love for me that same day. Mind you, Kaloren thinks he's in love with any pretty girl who does something nice for him, and it's nothing to worry about."

Aldonn nodded. "I understand; there's a girl like that back in Teldrassil. She declared her desire to marry five different men in one day, and two of them were humans."

"I'm guessing you were among the five?"

"Indeed I was, until my sister, a friend of the girl, claimed I was betrothed already."

Lynissara sat up straighter at that; they had been sitting against a ridge by the lake. "Are you?"

"I was, at the time," Aldonn admitted. "Our mother desired we marry young, fearful that if we waited for love we would wait forever, due to our nature." Lynissara waited for further explanation. Aldonn, almost reluctantly, continued, "Delaeda and I have always been… different, even among other druids. Most druids se their animal form as a tool, a way to better understand nature by being closer to it. Delaeda and I see our animal forms as extensions of ourselves, but also as a separate being coexisting with us. We can share a mind with the animal; it isn't that we're the animal, but that we and the animal are one. Due to this, we have a respect and love for nature deeper than most night elves', and we were always more involved with nature than other people. Mother feared we were anti-social."

Lynissara smiled. "That's beautiful, actually, that you two are so in tune with nature. I meant it when I said you're everything I wish I could be- blood elves aren't made with the ability to feel so close to nature. Few of us even appreciate the moonlight, I've learned."

Aldonn frowned. "That's tragic."

"I know. I think it's part of why I'm so drawn to you. I just don't understand how your own people, nature-loving as they are, weren't in love with you for the way you look at nature."

Aldonn's frown turned to a smile. "I've never met anyone like you."

Lynissara chuckled. "There's no one like me to meet."

"I've noticed," Aldonn said, beginning to lean closer. Lynissara's heart sped up. Was he about to-?

" _Aldonn Oakshadow!_ By the light of the Moon, what do you think you're doing! Have you lost your mind!"

Lynissara nearly jumped out of her skin; as it was, she leapt to her feet and unsheathed her axe, holding it up and glaring into the trees. On top of the ridge stood a night elf female and a draenei male, both staring at the two as if they had just murdered children.

"Aldonn!" The female continued, "Do you see what she is? She's obviously using you somehow for the Horde! You can't honestly be fraternizing with a blood elf!? She's just biding her time to kill you! She can't be trusted!"

"Hey!" Lynissara snapped, stepping forward. "If you have such a problem with my kind, take it up with me!"

"I will!"

Aldonn snapped out of his shock and leapt up between them. "Wait, no! Delaeda, she's different- Nissa, please, don't fight her, this is my sister."

Lynissara lowered her weapon some, but still glared. She wouldn't fight Aldonn's sister, but she didn't have to like the girl.

"You can't really believe she's so 'different'," Delaeda protested. Lynissara's glare deepened.

"Look, Delaeda," the blood elf said, "I'm not going to fight you, because you're Aldonn's sister and, believe it or not, I care about him. But I won't tolerate being spoken of that way by someone who doesn't even know me."

Delaeda glared back and grabbed Aldonn by the wrist, pulling him to her. "Aldonn, my idiot brother, you're coming with me. You can explain everything on the way back to Stormwind."

Aldonn pulled free, moving to stand next to Lynissara. "No, Delaeda. You don't understand the situation. I love her."

Delaeda stared between the two. "But does she love you?"

Aldonn turned to Lynissara. She gulped; this moment would define everything. She hadn't let herself think about if she truly _loved_ Aldonn- but if she said no right now, she would never see him again. And the fact that that was her fear, and not survival (if she said no, she would be immediately fought), proved her answer.

"Yes," Lynissara answered. "I do love him."

Aldonn's unbreakable huge smile caused one to echo onto her face. And, well, how could she not love him? Delaeda sighed, easing her stance, and stepped off of the ridge to Lynissara. She held out a hand.

"Hi, I'm Delaeda Oakshadow, Aldonn's sister."

Lynissara shook her hand. "Nice to meet you; I'm Lynissara Redwind, a paladin, in love with your brother."

Delaeda smiled. "I can accept that, but we have a lot to talk about."

Lynissara nodded. "We do."

"And I'm Brunen Taas, draenei warrior! Can we slap on some smiles and be friends?"

Aladey sat with her chin on her fists. She now had everything she needed clothing-wise, and would be getting a new staff tomorrow after taking down the academy. Alathan came and sat next to her, tossing an arm over her shoulders.

"Hey pretty lady," he greeted her. Aladey managed a small smile.

"Hi," she said, and her smile fell. He frowned.

"What's wrong?"

She sighed. "A friend of mine hasn't shown up in two days, and he promised he'd come by every day I was here. I miss him."

Alathan glared. "A 'friend' or a _friend?"_

She looked over at Alathan. "A friend, not like you."

"Good." He squeezed her shoulder. "You're mine, you know that, right?"

She pulled away. "Alathan, I barely know you-"

"You don't need to know much about me. Just know that I care a lot about you and I've already done more to help you than this _friend_ has. And I don't want you around other men."

Aladey glared at him and stood. "Alathan, I don't know who you think you're talking to, but-"

Alathan stood up as well and grabbed her forearm tightly. "You're not to talk to me like that."

Aladey tugged free. "I'm to do whatever I feel like! I'll have you know there's nothing you can say that will control me. I am my own person, and I want nothing else to do with you."

"And how will you take down the academy without me? You're nothing but a mage, weak and fragile-"

She pelted him with a ball of ice, sending him back into the stairs. He fell against them and gasped. She marched up and pinned him in place by pointing her staff at him. "The only weakling here is you, the one who thinks he has to control someone to feel powerful. I'll have you reported to the guard if I hear another word from you like the ones you just tried to say to me. You are in no position to control _anyone_ but yourself, and I feel ashamed for having considered you a friend. Never speak to me again."

She strode inside and to her sleeping place, wondering then if Faradin had stopped visiting because he thought something was happening between her and Alathan. She shuddered; she couldn't believe she had let that foolish, arrogant, misogynist speak to her. She grabbed a scroll of parchment and began to write; once she was done with the letter, she sent it out.

Hopefully it would reach its intended soon.

 **A/N:** Another chapter in! I love Aladey, and Delaeda, and all these characters, lol.

 **SpiffyLeaf:** Delaeda and Brunen are my favorite couple, lol. This story is basically the result of me over-thinking my characters' personalities while playing the game; I didn't really intend to have so many characters involved but I'm satisfied, even if it seems out of place for WoW's universe, haha.


	6. Chapter Six: Surprise, Bitch!

Chapter Six: Surprise Bitch!

A month passed. Aldonn and Lynissara grew closer; Delaeda stayed to keep an eye on the two, always prompting her brother to start heading home. Lynissara was insistent on staying to finish the war, which was almost to a close as they pressed closer to Gilneas. The casualties were skyrocketing on both sides, and after Belmont was nearly killed and Kaloren injured to the point of being sent back to Silvermoon, Lynissara was at her wits' end with this war and desperate to finish it.

Back in Eversong Woods, a new hero had emerged. Aladey Goldsong, a young mage with promise and potential, had saved the forest from trolls, arcane taint, the spread of the Dead Scar, overpopulated animals, and many other dangers, including an Alliance spy. She had done something similar in the Ghostlands, saving both lands as best she could, and gathering a name for herself as a hero. She had heard little from Lynissara, who was busy with the war in Silverpine but had sent a gold to the once-poor mage (who now had a substantial amount of funds building- thirty gold already, and in only a month), and nothing at all from Faradin. She had sent him a letter before she left Sunstrider Isle, but never heard back from him. The last she'd heard of her friend was that he had returned to Mulgore to be among his people. She missed him desperately.

She had now been commissioned to deliver a volume on natural magic to Thunder Bluff, borrowed by a magistrix in the Ghostlands; as she had nought else to do there, the young mage had set out. The city of Silvermoon had greeted her kindly, and she repaid her debt to the Blood Knights by returning a gold to them, and sent money to Lynissara. She had, by now, tailored her own gear, using linen sent to her by her cousin; she paid Lynissara back in any blacksmithing supplies she found while out saving the lands. Aladey had taken the portal from Silvermoon City to Undercity, and then rode the zeppelin to Orgrimmar; while on the zeppelin, she met a troll named Ra'Zan, who told her about his people and the parties he'd missed during his trade dealings in Undercity.

They traveled together for a time, until they reached the Crossroads in the Barrens; from there, he parted ways toward the Southern Barrens, leaving her alone on her trip to Mulgore. She rode off on her white talbuk, a pretty beast she had turned to calling Snowball, and together they rode the sunset into Mulgore. She had decided, upon looking at a map, to stop at Bloodhoof Village for the night, and return the tome in the morning. She was apprehensive; would Faradin even be here? It had been a month since she had last heard from him. She still didn't know why he left; for a time, she was angry, but that anger had subsided into heartache. She missed her friend, but was scared to think if he missed her.

She reached the village as sunset turned to dusk, and a well-geared tauren warrior stood and marched in front of her where she sat still mounted. He glared. "What are you doing in our village, blood elf!?"

Affronted, she leaned back some in her saddle. "I have a task in Thunder Bluff-"

"And no right to poison our city with your kind! Get out of here before your taint infects the moors. Was it not enough to destroy your own homeland?"

She glared at him. "I'm doing a favor for your people- I appreciate your homeland, I'm not here to destroy it!"

"And I'm sure the Lich King was only stopping by for tea when he tore a scar through your land."

Aladey gasped. "You insufferable, ignorant bastard! How dare you speak of such things so casually!" She huffed, trying to regain a level head. "Listen, the tauren are allies of the Horde, just as the blood elves are. I'll be gone by morning."

"Morning isn't soon enough," the warrior declared, withdrawing his hammer. "I'll fight you out myself if I have to!"

Aladey dismounted and withdrew her staff. "I'll not be bullied by a warrior with a big hammer who thinks he's all that because-"

The hammer came down on her ribs, knocking her back. She coughed ferociously as the wind was knocked from her and stood up, waving her staff. A bolt of ice flew from the end and froze around his feet; as he struggled to move, she scrambled to right herself.

"Blood elf _bitch!"_ The tauren shouted. "Get her out of here- she attacked a brave!"

"Karren, what have you done now?"

Aladey was as frozen as the tauren's feet at the voice. From a nearby tent strolled a familiar sienna-toned tauren hunter, with a gorgeous grey owl just behind him. The tauren walked out and then gaped at Aladey. She stared back, and then another coughing fit shook her as the pain of the blow set in. Faradin immediately raced over to her and wrapped an arm around her.

"Aladey, are you okay?"

Aladey, doubled over, clutched her side. "Obviously not. Your friend over there not only tried to harass me into leaving and insulted my kind, but also swung his hammer into my midsection hard enough to knock the breath out of me. I think there might be a rib broken down there, too. I'm alright, I just need a minute."

Faradin glared at Karren and then grabbed Aladey to him as she attempted to stroll away. "You most definitely are _not_ alright and I'm taking you to see my mother. You need healing, and she can help."

Aladey, coughing again, was in no place to protest. Faradin lifted her up, grabbing the reins of her talbuk as well, and began walking her toward the largest tent in the village. Faradin told a dark-furred female tauren of what had happened, and she sat down Aladey in a chair and healed her and then told her to rest, and let the healing do its part. Afterward, the older taureness- who Aladey had learned was named Ayana- strode off to report the incident. Faradin stayed with Aladey. She continued to hold her stomach, and looked over at him.

"Why did you never come back?"

Faradin gaped at her, and then looked over at the fire. "Aladey, I had begun to develop feelings for you. I noticed you growing closer to that blood elf male, and didn't want to interrupt or get in the way. I thought it best that I left."

"You mean you were jealous and hurt and ran away rather than confront me about it." Aladey sighed. "I sent Alathan away and told him never to speak to me again on the second day that I didn't hear from you. He tried to tell me who I can and can't talk to, tried to claim me as his, and then called me weak. When I hurled his arrogant ass into the steps with an ice-bolt, he shut up, and I told him to never speak to me. I wrote to you; why didn't you reply?"

Faradin looked away. "Again, I- I didn't want to get in the way."

Aladey reached over and took the tauren's hand, his large hand engulfing her smaller elven one. "Faradin, you fool- do you know how much I've missed you?"

A tall, muscular, blue-eyed tauren woman with fur almost as dark as Ayana's strode in. Faradin quickly snapped his hand out of Aladey's and stood. "Reagana. This is Aladey, my blood elf friend I've told you about. Aladey, this is Reagana, my..."

"His betrothed," Reagana finished. Aladey's eyebrows shot up.

"Oh, um," Aladey moved to stand, but Reagana held her down.

"Don't worry about standing; I'm not that formal. It's nice to meet you."

Aladey forced a smile. "You, too. Betrothed, huh?"

"Yes. Faradin and I reconciled when he returned from Eversong, and we've been inseparable since."

"I see." Her heart clenched. This was more devastating than Faradin's extensive absence, to know that in that time she had lost his interest. "Well, I'll not- um- get in your way. If you don't mind, I'm quite tired, I'd like to lay down now."

"That's alright," Reagana said. "I was just about to suggest to Faradin that we lay down for the night as well." _They sleep together?_ "Goodnight, Aladey. I hope I see more of you before you leave."

Aladey, with that same forced smile, said, "I'll be leaving early in the morning, so you likely won't. Goodnight, you two."

She stood and strode over to one of the netted beds on the edge of the tent, forcing herself to stand straight despite the pulsing pain in her stomach, and then laid down with her back to them until they left the tent.

 _Faradin, oh, Faradin- why couldn't you have stayed?_

 _Silverpine Forest_

Lynissara took a deep breath. All she had left was today, and then she was free of this whole war. She could meet her distant cousin, run off to Stranglethorn, party forever in Silvermoon, whatever she chose to do. She could leave this dark place behind, and with it, the war.

Lynissara, mounted on her Thalassian Warhorse next to the Banshee Queen, stared into the misty afternoon as the rain started to pour. She was ready to get this over with.

"Onward, Lynissara!" Sylvanas cried, "We will beat back the Alliance dogs and secure Lordaeron for the Forsaken! For the Horde!"

They charged off, soon after reaching the battlefront. Sylvanas screamed with all the fury of a banshee queen of the futility of the war, and they soon apprehended the Alliance at Greymane Wall. Coated in rain and with Lorna Crowley in bonds behind her, Lynissara waited next to Sylvanas as the Alliance commanders strode forward.

"It's not over, Sylvanas," Darius Crowley declared, "Not yet."

Sylvanas glared at him. "You frivolously throw away the lives of your people while your own king sits atop his throne, of lies, nary lifting a finger to help! Is Gilneas worth the lives that have been lost? The lives that will be lost? You cannot win!"

"We will die trying!"

"And your daughter- you could have saved her. You could have offered her your blood, yet you did not. Why?"

" _Lorna!_ What- where is she? What have you done to her!?"

"Nothing, yet. I present you with a choice- a choice that I was never given. I offer you the life of Lorna for your unconditional surrender. Choose your next words wisely, Crowley. Deny me and she serves me in undeath, forever." Sylvanas raised her voice. ""Bring her, Godfrey!"

Lord Godfrey strode forward with the body of Lorna, Lord Walden and Baron Ashbury just behind him. Darius, spotting his old ally, glared and shouted, "Godfrey! You deceitful maggot!"

Godfrey smirked and said, "Hello, old friend!"

Darius then spotted his daughter. "Lorna... I... Release her. I will sound the retreat."

Packleader Ivar Bloodfang, standing next to Crowley, growled, "You can't be serious, Crowley. You miserable bastard!" Crowley stared only at his daughter, unrelenting, and the packleader raced off in a fury.

Sylvanas glanced at Godfrey. "Release her, Godfrey."

"Of course, mistress."

Lorna was set down and sent to Crowley, who grabbed the winded girl and held her close.

"Now leave here, Crowley," Sylvanas said, "And never return." She raised her voice. "Lordaeron belongs to the Forsaken."

"Forgive me, daughter," Crowley said, and then walked off.

Sylvanas raised her voice higher: "Soldiers of the Horde! We are Victorious! Lordaeron is w-"

Before Lynissara could move, Godfrey withdrew a gun and shot the Dark Lady. She toppled to the ground. A gasp escaped Lynissara's throat, but she couldn't move, paralyzed by shock and irrepressible grief. _Sylvanas-_

"What have you done, Godfrey!" High Warlord Cromush shouted.

Godfrey glared. "Something that should have been done a long time ago, you filthy animal. Gilneas belongs to me, and so soon will the rest of Lordaeron! Now join your mistress in death!"

Lord Godfrey, Lord Walden, and Baron Ashbury launched themselves at Cromush; Lynissara, powered by rage, broke of her trance and joined in the fight, viciously attacking the three; the val'kyr joined in the attack, throwing themselves at the three with all the ferocity of the war, combined into one fight.

"Fall back, brothers!" Godfrey shouted. "To Shadowfang! This land will quiver and shake in the wake of our destruction!

Cromush toppled to his knees next to Sylvanas as the three raced off; Lynissara was still too shocked to chase them, and fell down next to the orc. Cromush cried out, "Fix her... Fix her!"

The Val'Kyr Agatha lowered down toward the banshee queen. "We are bound to her, sisters."

Another, Arthura, noted, "It will destroy us, sister."

Daschla glanced at the other two. "It is our sacred duty. The pact was sealed, the bargain made."

"Then let it be done," Arthura finalized.

The three banshees formed a triangle with Sylvanas at the center; a blinding light caused Lynissara to shield her eyes, and when she could see again, Sylvanas was awake, and the three gone.

Sylvanas, still lying on the ground and propped up on her elbow, murmured, "I saw... Only darkness. And as I drifted towards nothingness, a brilliant light appeared, then another, and another- my dear val'kyr." She sighed heavily. "I know now- beyond a shadow of a doubt- that the val'kyr are our future." She drew herself to her feet and glared after Crowley and the others. "We will never stop fighting for Lordaeron. Never."

Delaeda sighed at her brother. "You're sure of this?"

Aldonn nodded, staring off to the north. "She'll come, I'm sure. We agreed on Northern Stranglethorn-she'll meet me there, or she won't. I can only hope to see her again."

He thought back to their last moments.

The two had met in the house where he had first healed her, and she had been on the verge of tears. This was last night. She had said she would do her best but may die, and he had held her for a long time.

"Will you come back to me if you survive?" He had asked.

"If I can," she had replied. "As soon as this business is done with, I will go far, far away from here, and try to put thoughts of war out of my mind. I have been told Northern Stranglethorn is nice this time of year, and that Grom'Gol Base Camp is in need of assistance. Will I see you in the forest?"

He took her hand. "If you are there, so shall I be. Where will we meet?"

She shook her head. "We will not assign a place. If we are meant to meet, we shall. I can only hope I live to see the day when our paths cross again. Goodbye, Aldonn."

She turned to leave, and he grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her back, and pressed his lips to hers. She kissed back after only a fraction of a second of registering what was happening, and he kissed fiercely, trying to express all the things he couldn't say. And despite all the turmoil around them, in that moment there was clarity and peace and love.

After the kiss, he said only, "I love you."

And to his utter amazement, she said, "I love you, too, Aldonn. I always will."


	7. Chapter Seven: Departure(?)

Chapter Seven: Departure or Destiny?

 _Bloodhoof Village, Mulgore_

The lake rippled calmly, reflecting the crescent moon that silvered the Mulgore plains. Clouds puffed by overhead in the same cool breeze that swept through the valley and ruffled the lake surface. The tall grass whispered, occasionally brushing the pelt of animals strolling about in the night. Aladey sat numb to all this.

Betrothed? _Really?_ Why? Why did it have to be betrothed? Why couldn't he be like any blood elf male and simply infatuate himself with a female, attempt to sleep with her, get cross when she refuses, and then move on?

...Because then he wouldn't be the glorious Faradin that she wanted back. Aladey huffed; it wasn't fair, nor would it ever be. How do you win back someone who's _betrothed_ to a stunning, beautiful huntress of his own race with an amiable personality and honorable set of values? How do you compete with that? Having a pretty face and skill with a staff simply wasn't enough when your own race was, evidently, the living equivalent of the scourge. Aladey rested her head on her knees, completely downcast, and a long sigh breezed through her, starting in the pit that had weighed her stomach down all night and then coursing through her peach-bruised heart and then exiting her throat through her soft, untouched lips. Damnable tauren. Damnable emotions. Damnable stupid, naive mage girl.

"There you are!"

Aladey jolted at the voice, snapping her head up. To her dismay (and slight bitter resentment), her glowing eyes landed on the fel-cow herself: _Reagana._ The tauren woman raced over to her and offered a hand.

"Let me help you up. Faradin's been looking for you since he noticed you were gone."

Aladey helped herself to her feet and then braced her staff against the ground, looking over Reagana's shoulder and asking, "He came to check on me?"

Reagana nodded, glancing behind her. "He said he thought you seemed down earlier, and wanted to make sure you were alright." Reagana stepped closer and stooped down some, reminding Aladey almost painfully of the physical opposition between them, and said quietly, "Faradin told me when he first returned from Eversong that he suffered heartache from a cute blood elf girl. To be frank, I think you might remind him of her-"

Aladey snorted, and Reagana's brow drew in. "What?"

Aladey searched for something else to explain it, and then patted Reagana's arm and started walking back, saying only, "You said beef frank. I thought it ironic."

The taureness huffed and Aladey just strode back to the village to wait for morning.

x~x

The zeppelin puffed into the vale, pausing at the tower and hovering over the coast. Lynissara's stallion keeled and took off, zooming down the tower steps in a spiral that would have frightened Lynissara had he been any other horse, and then zoomed into the middle of the village and whinnied, shuffling nervously. She dismounted and patted his muzzle, leaving the poor beast to get re-accustomed to ground after the long ride from Tirisfal Glades to Northern Stranglethorn. Finally, they were here- finally, she was away from war, and could do something productive.

Brief conversation around camp led her "something productive" to be killing raptors and collecting their eggs: a reasonable task that in no way involved the Alliance. Perfect. To her surprise, though, the last egg hatched- and the baby raptor imprinted on her. As it was harmless now, she let it follow her. She had arrived at mid-afternoon, and after a bit of raptor-hunting had commenced, she returned to base camp and turned in the eggs. After a while, a troll woman she couldn't remember the name of approached with a raptor egg omelette and shared it with her; she felt somewhat guilty about this due to the baby raptor staring at her with big eyes. She fed it a bit of meat from her bag and tried to ignore its stares- raptor omelette was amazingly good.

She sat with a troll named Ra'Zan, traveling from Booty Bay to Undercity, who told her about his recent travels with a very pretty blood elf and also about his constant traveling. He was no warrior, but he was an interesting fellow and offered good conversation. As the night pressed on, Ra'Zan left for the approaching zeppelin, and Lynissara strode out of the camp for a walk through the jungle. She strode twenty paces from the camp's barricade and then followed a circle around the perimeter. The jungle was quiet at night, but not too quiet. She could hear the distant clopping of a horse traveling- _Alliance._ The sound sobered her, reminding her of Aldonn, her lost love. Would she ever find him again?

After her walk, she returned to camp and laid down in the inn on her hammock, letting the waves outside soothe her into sleep.

This was _definitely_ an upgrade from Silverpine Forest.

x~x

 _Elwynn Forest_

Lion's Pride Inn was no less boisterous than the two had left it. Delaeda's glowing amber eyes looked at the tavern and a sigh drew from her mouth; was this the end? Brunen kept walking, not speaking. They hadn't spoken since their departure from the tram an hour ago; they had taken their time strolling through the Stormwind canals and even stopped in a tavern already for a drink, but hadn't spoken outside of discussing which way they were going. They now were back at Goldshire- full circle, but where to go from here?

Brunen took her hand suddenly and pulled her past the entrance to Lion's Pride and they walked to the shore of Crystal Lake. He turned to her and his thick hands were placed on her cheeks. She stared up at him, hoping her expression wasn't as desperate as she felt.

"Where do we go from here?" He asked. "I've had the adventure of my life, going to Silverpine Forest with you, and I don't want this return to mean our journey ends. Let it continue, please- I've never felt this for anyone, Delaeda. We can go anywhere you choose, according to your decisions. We can be anything- I just want to be with you."

Sweet relief washed over the night elf and she all but melted into his arms, falling against him and squeezing him to her. He hugged her back; she stayed there for a long moment, and then withdrew only enough to kiss him for a long moment. Afterward, she said, "Brunen, I've been scared shitless, to be honest, that you would wish to part ways upon returning. Traveling with you has been the best experience of my life and I would be ruined to leave you now. However, Lion's Pride Inn isn't my last stop- it was only where I thought it best to leave you if you so chose. Will you accompany me to my destination?"

He smiled. "You know I will. Where to?"

"Darnassus. My mentor desired I return to him after whatever journey I ended up on. I haven't seen him in some time." By now, Delaeda was looking at the moon above the lake, and Brunen only watched her. "I miss him. He taught me everything I know."

"He is only a mentor, correct?"

Delaeda chuckled. "Of course, Brunen."

"It's only that you speak of him so fondly."

Delaeda took the man's hand and smiled. "When I was first transported to Darnassus for training, I considered it, of course, as any young night elf girl would; but I learned better very quickly than to get involved with a mentor."

Brunen withdrew his hand. "How did you learn this?"

Delaeda reached for him, but he only turned a stony glare to her. She withheld her exasperation and only continued to smile. "Brunen, I learned by watching my friend fall into that trap- things went too far, and then it was very awkward afterward. As I valued my friendship with the man more than I ever wanted anything, I didn't let anything happen. It was a brief contemplation, it was never serious."

Brunen eyed her for a long moment, and then sighed and grabbed her to him. "I'm sorry; the thought of you with someone else simply rubs me the wrong way- especially if I'm supposed to meet the guy."

Delaeda nodded. "I understand, Brunen. I wouldn't take you to go see a man I had that kind of relationship with, not with how I feel about you."

He nodded back at her and then kissed her forehead, running his hand over the back of his head. He let his fingers fall through her hair, curling around it, and then kissed her lips. She kissed back, letting her tongue flick over his bottom lip, and he gasped and then looked at her before returning passionately.

Delaeda smiled as she kissed him with a ferocity she was sure was influenced by her bear side, and she scratched his back with feline claws, and very soon after he grabbed her under her thighs and lowered them both to the ground.

 _Mulgore_

Aladey, sitting on her talbuk, glanced back at the golden, sun-painted plains of Mulgore; Faradin's homeland was truly beautiful. She smiled and let the sun soak into her skin; not even her jealousy or the assault could taint this beautiful land. She breathed deeply, and then started back toward the gap in the mountains that would allow her to exit the valley.

It was as her talbuk was climbing the last rise that an arrow whistled past. She leapt from the talbuk, rolling to the ground, and landed in a bush at the base of a tree. She gripped her staff and ducked around the tree- centaurs. She launched a bolt of fire at the lead centaur, who stood with an arrow threaded to his bow; the bow was knocked from his hands and she hurled another bolt at the beast-man, killing him. His comrades bolted toward her.

 _Too many,_ she noted, mounting her talbuk once more and took off toward the mountains. Once she was far enough, she wheeled the talbuk so it stood sideways in the path and aimed her staff, throwing more fireballs back at the centaurs. She coupled the fire with ice, though her specialty was fire, and fought with all her might. When all but one were killed, and that one wounded gravely, she raced toward it and knocked it out with her staff. She searched the corpse, as this was the only one with a satchel- there, a map. It had Bloodhoof Village marked off, as well as a cave in the hills. A dotted path led through a dip from the cave to the village, and another marked a side-path- an ambush, double-flanking the village. Aladey glanced at the village. She couldn't leave things like this.

The talbuk's hooves stormed across Mulgore as Aladey raced back to the village. The map had a moon phase marked on it- half-moon, but whether waning or waxing she couldn't tell. She couldn't truly remember if the moon was waxing or waning now, only that it was a crescent. She entered the camp and dismounted her talbuk, peeking in tents- ah, there. Reagana and Faradin lie in the same tent, but while Reagana was on a low-set featherbed, Faradin was in a hammock, his back to her. Aladey stepped quietly over to him and shook him. The sleeping tauren immediately opened his eyes and rolled over. Surprise flitted across his features.

"Aladey? What are you doing here?"

He sat up and she handed him the map. "I was attacked by centaurs on my way out, and one had this. It's indicating an attack on the half-moon to swarm the village."

Faradin, more alert now, stared at the map. "Swarm? They'll double-flank it- we won't stand a chance. Thank you for the information, Aladey; I'll inform the guard and we'll take care of it. I don't know how, but at least we'll be ready."

Aladey gaped at him. "Faradin, you can't be serious- when the patrol doesn't return to their base, they'll change their plan; the element of surprise is gone, so they'll attack immediately, if they've any strategic ability at all- and they do. The best option is to attack their base. We have to go _now._ We have the location marked on the map, and-"

"Aladey, be realistic. Storming into a cave full of centaurs wouldn't be any more successful than trying to talk them out of the attack."

Aladey huffed. "Look, in the Ghostlands when the scourge held three entire _villages,_ I stormed in to thin the numbers and the guard followed to wipe them out. Don't tell me that wouldn't work perfectly here- send in the most skilled, and then-"

"Most skilled? More so than the guard?"

Reagana woke then, blearily looking around. Her eyes found the two and she asked, "What's going on?"

"Centaurs are going to attack the village," Aladey explained, "And rather than meet them at their base, Faradin thinks it best to wait around for the attack."

"I agree," Reagana said. "Charging their base wouldn't make much sense."

"Neither of _you_ make much sense! Faradin, if you want to be a hero amongst the tauren, then trust me on this and come with me."

"Come with you?"

"If you won't help, I'll do it myself."

"No, Aladey-"

"Stop me, then."

Faradin stood, towering over her, and stared at her for a long moment. "I understand your desire to help my people, but it isn't your place. Karren was right- blood elves don't belong in Mulgore. Leave now, and let it be done with. You aren't impressing me by trying to seem smarter or stronger than me and my people- you're only coming off as arrogant and unreasonable. Leave this village and do not return."

Aladey clenched her jaw, staring up at him. "Fine."

She strode out, but had no intention of leaving Mulgore just yet. She had business to attend to first.


	8. Chapter Eight: It's a Trap!

Chapter Eight: It's a Trap!

Beige rocks yawned from the side of the mountain, a small area of village outside of it. Centaurs roamed to and fro; Faradin was right- Aladey couldn't possibly take out all of them. But she could thin their numbers and remove their leader.

Aladey gripped her staff and started toward the cave entrance; a guard flanked either side, and she encased one in ice before hurling fire at the other. She let the dark energies of magic flow through her; the other races think she's evil? She doesn't belong? Very well. She would embrace the dark arts so shunned by races who have it easy. Not all can do earth magic, and her people's source had been destroyed- that was no reason for magic-inclined folk to give up completely.

She let these thoughts guide her and enrage her, fueling her battle might as she made her way through the cave, obliterating centaurs with fireballs and bolts of ice until she was toward the back of the cave. Three tunnels branched off; before she could pick one, an abnormally large centaur strode out of the leftmost tunnel and glared at her.

"You dare interrupt my people's plans? Feel the wrath of the centaur!"

He charged, a hefty halberd in hand, and released a battle cry. Aladey ducked the blade, but the centaur twirled the weapon so the blunt end knocked her over the head. She quickly stuffed bloodthistle in her mouth through the pain, hoping the herb would strengthen her, and then shot fire toward the centaur's legs. He cried out and came at her again, this time landing the blade in her back; it glanced off her shoulderblade, but still managed to gouge down to her hips. She cried out and whirled around, leaping backward onto a boulder, and then fired ice at the centaur. Before the bolt hit, the centaur threw his halberd- it struck her leg and knocked her back. Her head collided with the boulder and she slid off; as her back hit the stone ground, she lost consciousness.

x~x

 _Northern Stranglethorn_

The ocean waves rose high and crashed into the shore, bathing the beach as the moonlight did. Lynissara smiled at the reassuring sea; just watching it calmed her. The images of the dead had ceased to constantly press her, now only occasionally tormenting her. She could enjoy a nice, relaxing night like this. Her cinder pup, Caesar, a constant companion, crawled up the boulder and sat down. She reached down to pet him, but froze at a stick cracking.

The paladin raked her eyes over the nearby forest- there, hiding in the shadows, was a night elf. She narrowed her eyes, but her heart pounded. She kept her eyes watching the night elf. "Show yourself."

She rose to her feet as he continued only to stare. She could see yellow eyes and long ears and the outline of a body, but it was too dark in the forest and he was too far for her to tell who he really was. She unsheathed her axe.

"Why don't you speak?" She called to him, keeping her voice firm in case her hunch was wrong. "Tell me your identity _now!"_

A soft chuckle came as her response. Lynissara gasped and started running down the boulder to him as he said, "Nissa! Is that any way to greet me?"

"Aldonn!" She cried, sprinting to him, and then grabbing him to her. She pulled back and placed her hands on his cheeks, pulling him down enough to kiss him, and kissed him as many times as he let her before pulling back and putting a hand on her waist and then one on her cheek. He brushed his thumb over her cheekbone.

"Lynissara," he breathed, his lips brushing her forehead. He spoke her name as if it was honey on his tongue, the sweetest sound he had ever produced. He spoke her name is if he still loved her, and she was sure then. She looked up at him.

"Aldonn, I'm so lost," she whispered, her broken voice unable to rise above that volume. "It's only the end of my second day here, and I feel as if I'm not doing anything worthwhile. That war changed me- and I still never found my mother. Now I yearn for the constant battle, but want to enjoy this forest and the peace. I don't feel as if I belong here."

He tucked a stray bit of hair behind her long ear. "Perhaps you don't, love, but don't leave just yet. You have reason still to be here. I will stay until you beg me to go. We will meet here tomorrow night as well."

Lynissara pressed herself to him, still looking up at him in earnest. "Aldonn, please, don't leave me. I love you. I was a fool to let you go."

Every emotion she had held in now bubbled to the surface; her guard was evaporated in his presence. She couldn't lie to him, nor could she keep her brave face around him. He lifted her chin. "I love you, too, Lynissara. I'm not leaving you. Come, let's find somewhere to sit for a while, and you can talk to me more freely."

Staring into his gleaming eyes, Lynissara finally found hope again.

x~x

The boat swung into position. Delaeda kept her head between her knees until it stopped; all of this time on the ocean lately had her itching for land, forest, stone- _anything_ but the up-and-down motion of the boat on the waves. As soon as it stopped, she tore her hand free from Brunen's and raced off the boat. A third of the way down the dock, she transformed into her cheetah form, racing down as fast as possible until she reached the solid stone of land. She lowered her belly to the ground and pressed her head between her paws, breathing heavily. _Land. Land is good. Plantlife. Nature. Oh, yes. Ocean bad, green good._

A chuckling draenei strode up next to her and patted the poor druid's furry shoulder, saying, "There, there, Delaeda- it's alright. We're on land now."

She _mrrow_ ed at him and kept her nose to the path. After a moment, her heart slowed back to normal (normal for cheetah) and she shifted back. She rose from the ground and took Brunen's hand.

"I love coming home, but I hate the journey here."

Brunen laughed as they started up the path. "Why do you ever leave, then?"

"All kinds of adventure can be found in other places. The voyage from Darnassus to Stormwind may make me feel like emptying my insides, but the adventure past the docks fills me with a light that can't be found anywhere else, no matter how good it feels to come home."

"Home- that's what it is to you, isn't it?"

Delaeda remembered then the tragic history of the draenei people; she was determined to make somewhere home for Brunen, too. She smiled at him, gently. "Yes. This is home to me. I hope, someday, you'll call somewhere 'home', too."

He smiled back, leaning toward her and letting his hands rest on her waist. "I think I may have already."

"Where would that be?"

"Wherever you are."


	9. Chapter Nine: Faradin Messes Up

Chapter Nine: Faradin Fucks Up.

 _Mulgore_

Faradin released the arrow, watching it whistle forward and then plunge into the centaur's chest. Despite his words to Aladey, he was still partially taking her advice; he had spent the morning helping organize squads to thin the centaurs' numbers and keep an eye out for more information about the impending raid. He had no idea what to do to save the village from the attack; the truth was that Bloodhoof Village lacked enough skilled warriors for a raid, and he wouldn't throw Aladey into danger like that, not where he was unable to save her. She was too precious to him. His harsh words were only to convince her not to attempt to take on the centaurs alone, to convince her that it would be unappreciated. A long sigh was pulled from his aching chest through his lips as he strode forward and began to check the centaur corpse for valuables to return to the village, as he had been doing all morning.

In the centaur's ears were gold-lined ruby earrings, identical to those Aladey had worn the previous morning.

He bolted upright immediately, his vision all but tunneling as he stared at the distant hills where the centaurs denned. _They've taken her. They've taken Aladey._ The thoughts kept repeating; he barely heard Reagana question why he was so still. He clutched the ruby earrings in his fist, not entirely sure when he had grabbed them, and a rage built within him; he was panting so heavily that the dry air formed faint clouds from his nostrils.

"Faradin?" Reagan pressed, standing next to him now. She reached toward his arm and he whirled around.

"They've taken her!"

"Who!?"

"Aladey!" His head swung back so his eyes fell on the hills. "My Aladey."

"Your _what!?"_

Faradin wasn't listening. He didn't care anymore what Reagana thought of him; he couldn't say for sure that he ever had. He cared about Aladey. He couldn't let things end this way, he couldn't let something happen to her, and he definitely couldn't let those vile creatures have his Aladey.

"We have to save her," he called to the squad, turning to face them.

"You said yourself she doesn't belong here," Karren argued. "She got herself into trouble, she can find a way out."

"I didn't mean it then and only said it so she would leave rather than go on some foolhardy quest trying to take on all those centaurs alone. We _have_ to save her."

Reagana glared at him. "I'm with Karren on this one. Let her save her own hide; we've enough to worry about."

Faradin's brown eyes narrowed. "Fine. But have fun explaining why I broke off the betrothal to such a selfish, dishonorable woman. That girl was taken trying to save _your_ village, and you won't save her because of jealousy. I thought you were better than this, Reagana, I really did." He looked away from her, to the others. "Entire squad- back to the village. Tell my mother I love her, and to visit my uncle in Orgrimmar for the next few days. She's too old for the raid, but don't tell her I said as much."

With those words, he started off alone. He made it fifty paces before the sound of pounding hooves caused him to turn his head; he spotted Marda, a young, white-coated taureness, running toward him. He waited for her to catch up and asked, "Did you forget something?"

"Who I am, temporarily," she answered. "I want to help."

Faradin nodded. "Thank you. At least _someone_ still has sense."

x~x

 _Northern Stranglethorn_

The way moonlight illuminated Aldonn's pale blue face was something that would never cease to enchant Lynissara. She watched the silver glow dance along his skin as he spoke, kissing his round cheeks and firm plum lips, and realized she had never felt true love until Aldonn. His clean-shaven jaw moved in rhythm with his words, and his eyebrows moved to match his emotions as he spoke, a movement she was sure he didn't notice. His smooth, deep voice, with its rustic tone and earthy rhythm, was carrying her through a story about a Darkshore bear, but she was truly more enchanted by the miniscule movements his face made as he spoke, subconscious exposures to how he really felt. Lynissara was reminded- intensely- that she was deeply in love with this man.

The sun broke the waves in a flash of gold, changing the way the light touched his face completely, just as Aldonn finished his story. His eyes met Lynissara's and he granted her a small smile; just that curve of his lips seemed to make her heart expand in her chest. "Why do you keep staring at me like that?"

A smile contagiously rose on her face, lifting her reddening cheeks. "You enchant me. Every bit of light to touch your face seems to shimmer, and only makes you even more beautiful."

"Beautiful?" He repeated, sounding baffled and looking the part.

"You're beautiful, Aldonn," Lynissara said, still smiling as she watched incredulity light his eyes and curve his lips up at the edges, just so much that she noticed. "Something in your nature, your features, your mannerisms strikes me as beautiful. It's an inner beauty, something of your spirit, but it spills out when you talk, when you move. You carry this light in you that I can't forget but could never copy to memory. Just being around you is such a lightening experience, I- I love it. I love you."

He chuckled and touched his smile to hers, catching her off-guard with the intensity of the kiss. He smiled at her, so close she could feel his breath, and said, "You know I see you in the same way, right? You're stunningly beautiful, and I've never met someone like you."

She chuckled. "Never met another blood elf?"

"You know what I mean. It isn't about your race, it's about how you are, the kind of person and the way you carry yourself. For one, I've never met a girl so naturally a fighter, and for two, I've never met a girl with such a soft, tender heart under such a tough exterior."

"Not to mention muscular."

"Yes, of course, muscular."

She grinned. "And I've never met a man like you, not even among the peaceful taurens. You desire peace, but you're willing to fight for it- it's so completely opposite of me. I seek conflict, something to fix, something to _fight._ I thrive on it. You merely seek to solve it."

He kissed her cheeks, her chin, her nose, her forehead, her temples, her lips, and then smiled at her. "You're the best conflict I've ever helped solve."

She tilted her head to the side, still warm from his kisses. "How am I a conflict?"

"The conflict was in finding a way to make us work amid a war. The solution was simple: end the war, which you did."

She stared out into the sea and sighed. They were sitting on a stretch of beach, pressed back against the jungle, and from here they could see half of the sky and the sun rising over the ocean. She found hope in the golden rays of sun, always rising again.

"They say it gets darkest before the dawn," she noted, "And I can see that. By the end of that war, I felt there would never be light again. You were bound to leave soon, as was I, and I had no idea if we'd ever see each other again. It was pure luck we found each other in the first place, or, as you say, divine intervention. Either way, the time had come to depart once I watched Sylvanas get killed. I never told you about what I did after that; I formed a group of the most formidable warriors I knew- the warrior Kaloren, a priest I knew, a rogue, and a mage- and we hunted down Godfrey and Belmont and killed them. Though the war was over, there was no true peace in my heart until that last wrong was righted. Strangely, it brought no satisfaction to win the war; it didn't completely feel like a victory. Once my anger and grief subsided some, I realized I was more relieved it was over than feeling victorious. I drank a lot that night, on the streets of the Undercity. I had never felt so displaced.

"I left the next morning for Stranglethorn. It was a relief to be away from the war; I thought I was finally happy, but underneath there were shadows. Blocking shadows only makes them darker, as I learned. And then you found me again, and the light returned." She smiled. "I can't deny it, Aldonn, ever- if there's such thing as fate or soul-mates, you were meant for me. I've never felt such an easy, quick love. We spent a few short weeks talking when we could, and you managed to capture my heart. I wish I'd had a more romantic moment to tell you I loved you back, but I suppose it is what it is. For all my courage in battle, when it comes to matters of the heart, I'm a hopeless coward. I may never have told you my feelings if I hadn't been forced to. I love you, Aldonn, and I hope you never forget that. You are my light in the dark."

He smiled warmly and took a deep breath, sighing contentedly. "And you wonder why I say I've never met someone like you. You balance me; I'm off seeking to recreate the natural balance of the earth in places where it's been lost, and I'm so focused on balance that I never sought to balance myself. You balance the beast and the man, the peacekeeper and the fighter. You draw me out to more adventure, yet allow me to remain still enough to remain the calm person I like to think I am. Thank you, Nissa, for being mine."

She smiled back at him, a full smile that twinkled in her eyes and scrunched the skin next to them to create premature crows' feet and showed her teeth. "Thank you for letting me."

"Always."

She kissed him for a long moment and then agreed:

"Always."

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N:** So I just realized that I have two chapters labeled Chapter Eight and two chapters labeled Chapter Nine, and they're all different chapters. This is the corrected chapter nine.


	10. Chapter Ten: A Little Worse for Wear

Chapter Ten: A Little Worse For Wear

 _Mulgore_

They had stripped her to almost nothing.

Her robe was in tattered pieces- the robe Aladey had tailored herself- and her shirt only just barely remained. The sleeves were gone, as was the lower half of the torso, and the top hung loosely covering her. Her pants were left torn to her knees, and her boots had been taken, as was her staff. Even the tie that held her hair up was gone, leaving it in matting waves falling down around her shoulders and back. She had never been so miserable; they had even taken her earrings.

Her usual centaur guard, whom she had learned was named Kal'Gar, came into the room and regarded her with contempt before turning around. She was being held at the back of the right-most tunnel, she had learned, and the leader was down the center one. She was sitting in a cage lifted off the ground; she would never again support the caging of animals for experimentation, observation, or even transport. It was wrong. It was so wrong.

Her despair had been building when, after two days, no one came for her. They may never know. The centaurs would raid Bloodhoof Village and win, the taurens would move elsewhere, and she would be left strung up in this cage until they decided what to do with her. She was absolutely astonished she hadn't been touched yet- she had almost no defense left. She hadn't had a thing to eat or drink since the morning she was captured, and she hadn't the strength to use her magic now. She was too weak. Her eyes were blackened from not sleeping, and her body shrunken from malnourishment; her eyes had dulled with hopelessness.

That's when she heard it:

 _Fighting._

Hope lit her eyes and she sat up slightly. Before Kal'Gor could move, an arrow shot through him and a grey owl tore viciously into the centaur's throat. Another arrow met the centaur's eye, shooting through to the back of his head, and the horse-man fell to the ground. Aladey stared at Graywing with a hope she hadn't ever felt before; the owl sat on a box and nodded at her. A moment later, footsteps in the tunnel drew her eyes from the owl-

-to Faradin. Her eyes pooled with tears and she clutched the bars of her cage, staring at him with complete happiness. He stood with his bow threaded with another arrow, brown eyes determinedly scanning the room, looking like a true hero. He was everything she could ever need. He was her Faradin, and he was perfect.

His eyes landed on her, having deemed the room safe, and his jaw dropped and his eyes lost their battle fury. He raced over, ran through the guard's corpse until he found a key, and then opened the cage. She tried to move to leave it but was too weak; the motion of sitting up had already made her dizzy. When she didn't immediately jump out, Faradin just grabbed her and pulled her out, and then hugged her to him. She relaxed into his arms, hugging him back with what strength she had left.

"Faradin, thank you," she croaked, her voice raspy. The tears of relief spilled out; she noticed she was trembling. "Thank you so much."

"Aladey, you're shaking- what have they done to you?"

"No torture, no rape, but they evidently don't feed their prisoners, or give them water."

"Oh!" He lowered her to sit against the box Graywing sat atop, and then dug in his bag and pulled out a flask of water and a hunk of meat. He handed both to her. She held the meat weakly in one hand, forcing her arm to raise enough to drink the water. She wanted to drain the flask as fast as possible, and had to force herself to drink slowly. _Sip, don't gulp. Sip, don't gulp._

"I'm okay," she lied, and Faradin gave her a look.

"You most certainly are not. Eat and drink, I'll protect you."

And just those simple words, accompanied by a faintly teasing smile, reassured her that she had never lost his interest. That thought renewed her strength, filling her with hope. There was still a chance. Hoof-beats pounded down the tunnel and Faradin was on his feet immediately, bow drawn, but he lowered it after a moment. Aladey spotted a white-furred tauren heading toward them as she nibbled the meat.

"Marda!" Faradin exclaimed. "You could have warned me."

She shrugged as she entered the room. "There are still centaurs in that center tunnel. I figured the less they knew, the better. Oh!" She had spotted the mage laying half-dead on the floor. Aladey had now slumped over; the rock floor was cool against her face and made her feel less like she might faint. "Is she okay?"

"Nope!" Faradin immediately ducked back down to her, setting his bow to the side, and lifted her into his arms. He sat cross-legged and set the tiny girl in his lap, holding her upright by leaning her against his leg, and forced her to drink more water. "Marda, will you watch the tunnel entrance?"

"Right on it, boss."

She vanished into the tunnel, and Aladey relaxed into Faradin's hold. He placed a hand on her legs, holding them in place, and used the other hand to brush her hair back. He looked at her with such care and caution that she couldn't hold down a smile. He smiled back. "What is it?"

"You _do_ care about me."

He nodded. "Why wouldn't I?"

She forced herself to swallow down another bite of jerky, and then said, "You were going to marry Reagana. And she's pretty, and honorable, and-"

"I broke off the betrothal."

Aladey swallowed down the water, too weak to convey her surprise. "Why?"

"I only just discovered yesterday at sunset that you were missing. Sorry about the wait- the centaurs were throwing a party, and we couldn't get in until dawn. Anyway, when I asked her and our squad to come with me to save you, she grew jealous and she refused."

"Why was she jealous? She seemed so..."

"I know. I kind of… Well, I said 'my Aladey', and it ticked her off. I didn't care, and when she still refused to help on the basis that you were fighting to save our people, I told her to have fun explaining why we are no longer betrothed."

"I'm sorry."

He rubbed her back. "Don't be, Aladey. It was my decision, and my feelings."

"Feelings," she repeated, still slightly out of it. She continued to nibble on the meat, contemplating that word as she finished off the water. As her strength came back, she remembered she was wearing next to nothing and stood quickly. "Sorry, I didn't remember how little I had on. I- let's go."

Faradin stood, helping Aladey to her feet. "Marda will walk you to the cave entrance while I take care of their leader."

Aladey stared at him. "Faradin, no- you can't. He's stronger than me, much stronger. You can't take him alone."

"You aren't coming with me, Aladey- not in this state."

She glared. "Try and stop me, Faradin. You've left me once before; it isn't happening again. You're _my_ Faradin, just as I'm your Aladey. Accept that and let me come with you. Keep me out of danger and with the combined strength of us four- me, you, Marda, and Graywing- we can win this. Try and send me back to the village and take him alone and you'll only get yourself killed. Remember, I've faced him. I'm not letting you undergo the same or worse."

He smiled at her. "You're still the same talented little spitfire you were in Eversong. Even when you're defeated, you still try to win. I love that about you." He seemed to realize what he said, because surprise widened his eyes and he floundered for a moment before saying, "C'mon- let's go get revenge."

She nodded, and followed him down the hall. Walking on her own two feet was refreshing, even if the hard stone floor had her feet hurting. They reached the end of the tunnel and she was struggling to hide her dizziness; she kept her back away from Faradin so he wouldn't notice the gouge from the fight, but her back was pinched from pain and she knew it had started bleeding again. The three started down the main tunnel, which was empty of centaurs, and upon reaching the end saw the biggest centaur standing there.

"It is you that has disturbed my peace, then. Oh, and you freed the mage." He glared. "Despicable taurens."

Faradin only narrowed his eyes. "Is that really what you choose for your last words?"

"The only one speaking their last words will be you, tauren. I will not go down as easily as you think-"

An arrow in the centaur's stomach silenced him, and the fight broke out. Marda charged, her sword ready, and engaged in a glancing fight with the centaur. Faradin fired arrows into the centaur's flank, and Aladey hurled fireballs but was having trouble aiming through her dizziness.

"Are you alright?" Faradin hissed from where he stood a couple of paces ahead of her.

"I'm fine."

"Then fight like it. I know you're better than this."

She shot him a glare and then hurled a fireball at a friend of the leader's who had run out of a side-tunnel. The centaur crashed into the wall and she shot ice at him, knocking him off his feet. He struggled for a moment and Faradin shot an arrow into his throat, killing him.

"Better?" Aladey muttered.

"Better."

She turned back to their main enemy. The centaur leader caught Marda under the arm and hooked her, hurling her to the side. He threw the halberd, shooting it toward Faradin. Aladey saw what was happening and thrust herself forward, between Faradin and the halberd. In her next-to-nothing clothing, she had no armor to protect her; it shot through her chest at a downward angle, coming out of her back by the same gouge from before. She coughed once, blood spouting up with it.

"Aladey!" Faradin choked out, sounding strangled.

She stood for a moment, struggling to breathe, and stared at the halberd. She launched a massive ball of flame at the centaur, killing him, and then fell to her knees and toppled to the side.

x~x

 _Bloodhoof Village - Mulgore_

Faradin had never prayed as much as he did that night.

He transitioned from fervent prayer to desperate vigil. He was at the end of his wits with worry, absolutely terrified of losing Aladey. She had saved his life, saved the village- and might die for it. He had never seen something so heroic happen, especially never on his account. He had never imagined someone else would save his life, and especially not like that- not at the risk of theirs. He never wanted that. He always said he would save someone else at the risk of his own life, but had never truly done it. All his years protecting the tribe and he had never seen something like that. She had moved so quickly- one second, he was staring down his death; the next, Aladey was there, and a halberd was sticking through her chest.

His mother said there was little hope. She had removed the halberd and stopped the bleeding, and healed what she could, but she was unfamiliar with blood elven anatomy and nothing but prayer and good fortune would save this girl now. And so he prayed, almost endlessly, the whole night.

The moon was halfway back down when she first moved.

She had been lying pale as a ghost, still as a corpse, for hours, and then her hand twitched in his. He hadn't left her side except to pray, and held her hand and sat by her cot from then on. Bandages were wrapped around her torso, and she had been given a loose-fitting taureness shirt, which had been coupled with pants for a child while they mended hers. She lay there unconscious, but every now and then her fingers would twitch against his.

Hope blossomed in his heart; she was still alive, and she was gaining more color by the minute. As the black sky shifted to the muted periwinkle of predawn, the sun not quite kissing the mountaintops yet, she suddenly opened her eyes. They didn't glow now, but instead were two normal orbs of a soft peridot-centered color, the irises yellowy-green, the whites amber, and the pupils dark emerald. They shimmered with relief when she saw Faradin.

"You're alive," she whispered. He held her hand tighter and shifted to kneel closer to her face. His other hand came up to hold her cheek, gentler than he had ever held anything.

"As are you," he murmured, his voice breaking with relief. "I was so afraid I'd lost you. How do you feel?"

"A little worse for wear, if I'm honest. You?"

"Exponentially relieved."

He couldn't take his eyes off of her face, the warm color there and the life that bloomed under her skin. She gave him a tiny smile.

"Please, don't leave me," she whispered.

"I won't."

She smiled again, and then her head fell to the side, her eyes drooped closed, and she fell into her slumber as before. This time, rather than the ghostly sleep of a corpse, she was receiving the healing rest she needed. The sleep of a living person.

For the first time in hours, Faradin could relax. Aladey- _his_ Aladey- was okay.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Where Do We Stand?

Chapter Eleven: Where Do We Stand?

 _Darnassus_

Having Brunen in Darnassus was like taking a gnome to the Lion's Pride Inn: a lot of jokes about drinking and far too much excited running about all over the place, but still adorable. She wasn't sure if she had ever seen him so happy, not since the first night they met. Mostly, she sat off to the side and watched him go from store to store, buying Darnassian cheese and bread and drinks, while she took care of their spider hatchling, which still didn't have a name.

Finally, he came running back to her, grinning from ear to ear. He lifted her by her sides and spun her, and then gave her a long kiss. "I love it here!"

She smiled broadly at him. "As do I. I'm glad you like it."

"Can we stay here for a while? I've never loved a city so much on the first day. I'd like to start fishing again."

She laughed, because it was such a domestic thing to say from such a strong, formidable warrior. Honestly, she had seen the man one-hit an ogre, and he wanted to _fish._ "Whatever you prefer, sweetheart."

He smiled at her. "Come on, I've been running all day- let's go meet your mentor."

She nodded and they started down the path, idly commenting on the scenery and the life and the wisps. She had just finished explaining the wisps when she reached the druid tree. Reminiscence and the feeling of being home coursed through her. She had to resist sprinting up the ramp, and Brunen noticed.

He laughed and invited, "Go, I'll meet you there."

That was all the invitation she needed.

Delaeda took off at a full sprint, resisting shifting, and very soon after reached her mentor on the second-highest side platform. She raced over to him and bear-hugged him, and he hugged her back warmly.

"Delaeda!" He greeted her.

"Shadorin!" She replied, and ended the hug. He looked at her with a light and warmth he hadn't previously held for her.

"You've grown since I last saw you," he commented. "You're… Older, somehow. You weren't gone for very long, but something changed."

She shrugged. "I'm not sure."

In truth, she knew what it was. She didn't let on to Brunen that he was her first, but he figured it out quickly enough. She supposed picking such a large mate for the first time may not have been the best idea, but she didn't regret it- not at all. Perhaps twenty-seven was a little old for her first time, but given the lengthy lifespan of night elves, she had never felt rushed.

"And where did you go?"

She stepped back and sat on one of the benches. "To Goldshire, where I met a draenei man named Brunen. He then accompanied me to Silverpine to find my wayward brother, and we stayed to observe the war and make sure they didn't need our help. In truth, the Gilneans needed all the help they could get, but refused to say so until we received news that they lost."

"They lost?"

She nodded. "The Horde was better prepared, and had better fighters." _Like Lynissara, but you can't know that._

Brunen joined them then. He nodded Shadorin and stepped over Delaeda. "I'm guessing he's your mentor?"

"No, the shadowy figure over there is," Shadorin said. Delaeda laughed, but Brunen looked annoyed. Shadorin stepped forward, smiling. "You must be her draenei friend."

Brunen shot her a glance; she knew the word 'friend' would bother him.

"I'm Shadorin Cedarstorm. You are..?"

Brunen stood taller. "Brunen Taas."

They shook hands, and Shadorin kept his friendly smile in place. "You're very lucky to have a woman like Delaeda."

Brunen stared him down. "That I am."

"Anyone would be honored to have her. Make sure you don't lose her."

Delaeda glanced between the two. She couldn't very well speak on behalf of either- what kind of apprentice turns on the mentor for a man she's known two months? But also what kind of woman would she be not to defend Brunen to Shadorin?

"I won't, no matter what you're implying, _elf."_

Slight offense there. Okay.

"Do you have a problem with my pointy ears?" Shadorin cocked his head to the side, his smile now a smirk. "Afraid they might gouge your pretty face? You realize she has the same ears, don't you?"

Brunen narrowed his eyes. "I'm aware. She wears them better."

"She still has them. Don't spit the name 'elf' in front of me, and especially not in front of her."

"Don't threaten what she and I have."

"Oh, I won't. Only she has the power to choose one of us, and I'm not asking her to. Get the idea that I'm an enemy out of your mind, draenei, before the druids here kick you out. This is not a battle you want."

Brunen stepped back. "Only for her."

"As you wish."

Delaeda sighed. This is going _wonderfully._

x~x

The wind ruffled through the tent and Aladey shivered in her sleep. Faradin pulled the blanket closer to her chin. The sun had risen hours ago, and still she slept. His mother had woken her at one point to feed her, but she had not truly woken yet, not since the brief moment that morning. A letter had arrived for her shortly after, from Lynissara, but hadn't been opened. Faradin was worried sick.

Yellow afternoon turned to bronze and then fiery sunset, setting the planes ablaze with light. Soon after, indigo dusk settled over Bloodhoof. The tribe was celebrating the heroism of the group that had saved them, and the fact that Bloodhoof Village was secured once more. But Faradin couldn't celebrate until Aladey was okay.

Worry had him at the end of his wits. His heart had not stilled since the halberd had crossed her chest; his mother had stated it was a miracle that the halberd had gone at the angle it did, as even a fraction of a degree could have killed her. The idea of never seeing her face light up again, of never hearing her voice… That would kill him as surely as the halberd would have. He still wasn't sure if it was worse to be killed then or to live without her.

It had been awkward to explain to his mother the whole situation. She had known from the moment Faradin walked Aladey into the tent that Aladey was the girl he had talked about before, and she hadn't seemed surprised when the betrothal was ended. She only wanted his point of view on it, which was that Reagana was unreasonably jealous and Aladey was far more honorable. He wouldn't marry a woman with such a frivolous personality- she agreed with whatever suited her, be it that Aladey is wrong or Aladey isn't being rescued. If the situation had been reversed, Faradin knew he would have swept his feelings aside to save the person who was trapped trying to save their tribe. It wasn't fair to her. And it wasn't fair to him to have to marry such a woman. So he refused. The only problem now was that Reagana's father had already paid a dowry, and his mother had already spent it. He didn't have the money.

Aladey stirred suddenly, her eyes opening, and his eyes shot over to her. She moved to sit up, and he placed a firm hand on her shoulder to hold her down, and she smiled at him.

"You stayed," she said, her voice faint.

"Of course," he replied. "You saved my tribe, and… You're you. I couldn't leave."

She seemed to notice the celebrations then, and her dimly-glowing eyes turned to the tent entrance. "You should be celebrating. I'll be alright."

He looked down at her. "No. I can't leave you here alone, and the best celebration for me is just being around you."

She smiled at him. "I just need rest, Faradin. Go- have fun. You deserve it. You saved your tribe."

"No, Aladey. _You_ did that."

She only shook her head. "Faradin, I… I'm so weak right now. I feel like all of my strength has been pulled out of me."

"You had a halberd in your chest."

"Hmm. Fair point. Still," she yawned, "It's no fun being stuck here. I wouldn't force you to be as well. But I _will_ force you to go enjoy yourself. Stop sitting vigil, I'm not dead."

"You almost were."

"But I'm not."

He chuckled softly, and then leaned close. "Can I tell you something?"

"Hmm?" She was growing sleepier, he could see it.

"Part of the reason I'm staying in here is because I'm being shunned by the tribe. I guess breaking off my betrothal to a pretty taureness woman for a blood elf mage wasn't a wise move if I want a good reputation."

Aladey chuckled, and then coughed once. Still grinning weakly, she looked over at him. "Who says reputation matters?"

"Aren't you the hero of the blood elves?"

"Basically, yes, but not for reputation. I just want a safe home for my people."

"Not just pretty dresses?"

She sobered some at that. "Oh, yeah, I have to make another robe." She turned to him. "You don't happen to have, like, a whole crate of linen cloth, do you?"

"I can find some. Oh, your cousin wrote to you- Lynissara- and I thought you'd want to… You're asleep again. Alright. Sleep well, Aladey." A smile lifted his lips. " _My_ Aladey."

Her hand squeezed his.

"My Faradin."

So that's where he stands to her, then. A hand to hold, someone to call her own. He could accept that.

x~x

 _Northern Stranglethorn_

"You love me, right?"

Lynissara looked over at Aldonn, completely baffled. They were sitting in a cove, their backs to the stone wall. "Of course!"

Aldonn stared at the rushing waters. "Hmm."

She sat up, looking at him. "Why do you ask?"

He looked over at her. "Where do we stand?"

Caught in his yellow gaze, she was frozen for a moment, uncertain of how to reply. "I… I love you, and you love me. That's all that matters, right? We don't want anyone else."

"I want to be with you for as long as I can. But I don't want to just be the man you spend time with in secret coves in the shadow of night."

She shrugged, her eyes searching for a reasonable answer. "Aldonn, I don't know what you're asking-"

"We have to choose. One of us has to choose. We can't keep carrying on this way, in secret, on opposite sides of a losing battle. Something has to give, Nissa."

She recoiled. "Are you asking me to leave the Horde?"

He stared at her. "Do you really think Garrosh Hellscream is going to take me in? No. But I know Tyrande Whisperwind will accept you, and vouch for you to King Varian Wrynn. The odds are higher that you can join the Alliance than that I can join the Horde."

Lynissara scoffed. "Okay, first you're trying to tell me that the only way we'll last is if I abandon my people, and then you tell me that your oh-so-sweet leader is going to take in a _Horde war hero?_ I won Gilneas for the Horde. I won a _war_ against the Alliance. They aren't going to take me. And even if they do, what will I do? I can't very well sign up for the Stormwind army and go fight my former brothers and sisters! You can't ask that of me, Aldonn. I wouldn't ask you to fight Delaeda, and nor should you ask me to turn against my cousin. I never had any family, and only just now discovered my cousin, and still haven't gotten to go see her. If we settle down, it'll have to be after I retire. Don't ask me of this now. I want to have you in the future, but I can't settle down now. If you love me at all, please understand this."

Aldonn stared at her for a long moment and then swallowed. "What do you want from me, Nissa? What future do you see for us?"

She stared at him for a long moment, feeling her heart sink with uncertainty. "I… I don't know. I want to see us settled down somewhere, a house of our own, maybe start a family. But I don't know how that would work; I don't know if a blood elf and a night elf can even have a child."

He took her hand. "That's all I need to hear, Nissa, just that you _want_ a future with me." He took a deep breath. "I'll wait as long as you need me to. Go, meet your cousin, and then return to this cove in two weeks. Leave in the morning, and go see her."

Lynissara nodded, brightening. She put a leg on either side of Aldonn and placed her hands on his wrists, holding him in place. "Aldonn, I love you. I'll be back in two weeks' time, but for now, we have tonight."

He raised his eyebrows. "Are you proposing..?"

"That we make the most of it. If I'm not going to see you for two weeks, then I'm going to enjoy this last night as much as I can."


	12. Chapter Twelve: Jungle Struggle

Chapter Twelve: Struggling in Stranglethorne

 _A week later - Grom'Gol Base Camp_

The zeppelin approached the tower, swinging in next to the base, and Lynissara glanced back at her wards. Faradin had his hand around Aladey's side, and she was staring out at the beach from where she sat, not quite recovered but close, by the edge of the railing. The zeppelin slowed to a stop, and Lynissara led the others off the zeppelin. Faradin carried Aladey as they made their way downstairs; to Lynissara's joy, the moon hovered overhead, indicating she could go see Aldonn. She left the other two to rest after buying them a meal, and then mounted her warhorse and rode off into the jungle, waving to the guards as she left the camp. She coasted down the beach, soon reaching the cove, and dismounted. She started following the sandy bank of the stream that cut through the middle of the cove, and then froze. There- glowing blue-white eyes, far enough apart to indicate a male. She flattened herself against the wall, narrowing her eyes so the glow from them would fade. The draenei male sat with his back to the wall, and in his hand she saw the gleam of a weapon- a big one.

As quietly as she could, Lynissara unsheathed her battle-axe, and then began creeping through the sand, her feet sideways to soften the noise. He was across the stream from her; if she could get further downstream than him and then cross and sneak up on him from behind, she could maintain the element of surprise- but that meant crossing directly in front of him. Knowing her luck, that would be the moment he grew aware. A direct charge was her only chance; but first, she could still get closer.

Lynissara crept closer still, and when she was almost in front of him, she charged forward. He leapt to his feet, catching her blow on a great claymore, and the two began dancing through the tunnel with the clash of weapons ringing around them. She leapt back and then struck forward, trying to lunge underneath the sweep of his blade, but he blocked her with a pommel strike that nearly disarmed her. She leapt back again, this time coming in from the other direction, and used the moment to recover her hand. From up close, she could see the draenei better- full plate, enchanted broadsword, tentacle beard- but couldn't make out what his face looked like. They continued to fight a moment longer, and then he disarmed her in a trick with his blade she couldn't quite understand how he had done. She dodged around him as his eyes flitted to watch her axe fall in the stream, and from behind him she called on the Light.

A golden glow dusted across her hand and she used a surge of strength to get the draenei disarmed. To her amazement, he countered her golden glow with a white hand, and turned around with an open palm striking forward. She ducked and grabbed his arm, using it as leverage to leap up and kick his head, knocking him to the ground. She landed on her feet, but he grabbed her ankle and tugged, and she fell and then rolled, landing in a kneel with her eyes toward the draenei. Just as a surge of gold lit her, a surge of white flooded him, and she jumped at him just as he leapt toward her. Recognition flashed through her and she turned her fist to an open hand grab his fist as it flew toward her face.

"Brunen!" She yelped, and his eyes shot wide.

"Lynissara!" He withdrew his fist and gripped her suddenly in a tight hug; Lynissara, still surprised, barely managed to hug him back before he pulled back and put his hands on her shoulders. "Damn, girl, you're one amazing paladin! I'm the only paladin I know who can call on light like that, that strongly, besides you. You put up an amazing fight, too- I can't even figure out who would have won that fight, had you not recognized me."

Lynissara laughed breathlessly, still trying to settle her nerves. "You're impressive, too, Brunen. Is Delaeda here? What are you doing in Stranglethorne?"

He grew more serious, but was still happy to see her. Brunen had always been kinder to the paladin than his companion. "Delaeda and Aldonn went out to find eggs for breakfast, and to talk. She said she had to explain to him why we're here, in depth. He wanted to wait for you to arrive, but said you were due back last night, and to go ahead and say if it was urgent. Come- we've got a camp set up in the back of the cove."

Lynissara nodded, and the two began walking toward the back after retrieving their weapons. "So, what are you doing? You never said."

He took a deep breath. "You'll find out soon enough anyway, so I may as well brief you. You'll get the details when Delaeda returns. Delaeda and I went to Darnassus to visit her old mentor, and she was called to visit Tyrande Whisperwind- you know who she is, don't you?"

Lynissara nodded.

"She said there's something dark in Ashenvale, and all of the druids refuse to go, for one reason or the other. Her mentor, Shadonis, requested that she go investigate. She's heard dark whispers ever since; they follow her about, and she says Elune herself seems to be pushing her toward Ashenvale. It's a pull she's been feeling, tugging her toward Ashenvale, and she can't resist it."

Lynissara tilted her head to the side. "Could it have anything to do with the Horde's attempt to claim the forest?"

He shook his head. "I don't think so. She says it feels much darker than anything the Horde could do."

Lynissara thought about it, memories swimming behind her eyes. "If Sylvanas reaches that forest, then it's possible it could be her. The darkness she brings, you wouldn't believe. But then, she has no reason to go there. The only other 'darkness' I can think of would be the scourge. Or, perhaps- does it feel arcane?"

Brunen shrugged. "I have no idea. She said she doesn't know how to describe it."

Lynissara sighed. "I would hate to think it's arcane. In that case, it's likely my people- my cousin Aladey would be so angry at the suggestion."

"Cousin? The one you had been writing to?"

Lynissara nodded. "She's in Stranglethorn now; I was going to introduce her to Aldonn, but if this is the case, then perhaps not."

They reached the camp and sat down around the fire. Lynissara began cooking a coyote leg on a skewer, and after a few moments of idle chatter as Lynissara explained more about her cousin to Brunen, she heard footsteps coming down the tunnel and silenced. She grinned at Brunen.

"Don't tell them I'm here," she whispered, ducking into one of the tents. She realized only too late that it was Delaeda's, and then heard the two night elves approach.

"Brunen, who were you talking to?" Delaeda asked; Lynissara saw her and Aldonn's shadows on the tent and resisted the urge to leap out at him.

"Oh, myself," Brunen said. "I got lonely. You two were gone awhile."

A pat on Lynissara's arm followed by a soft scratch drew her attention away from the conversation outside, to the small green-and-black spider sitting next to her. All eight eyes stared at her, and blinked at once. She blew on it, waving her hands and trying to shoo it away, and it scuttled out quickly and started climbing over Delaeda.

"What is it?" Delaeda asked, and the spider crawled back and lifted the tent flap.

"Traitor," Lynissara breathed.

Brunen casually covered, "I found a rather large centipede and killed it, and left it in there as a treat for him when he deserves it. He's just begging."

By now, Aldonn and Delaeda had sat down, and Aldonn asked, "By the way, Brunen, did you look for that journal like I asked you to?"

"Oh, yes! It's in mine and Delaeda's tent now, on the bedspread, with a surprise for you."

"A surprise?"

Aldonn stood and Lynissara sat up straighter, biting the inside of her lip to try and hold down the gigantic smile threatening her features. Blue fingers gripped the tent flap and then tugged it aside, and a gasp flew from Aldonn's lips before Lynissara was leapt upon. She found herself flat against the ground, laughing as dark blue lips were repeated pressed to hers. Aldonn lay atop her, and then smiled and began kissing every spot of her face.

"Why did you hide? Why not tell me you were here?"

She giggled. "I wanted to surprise you!"

He kissed her firmly once more. "You definitely did! I'm so glad you're here."

Delaeda peeked in the tent, and then nodded once and stepped back out. Aldonn kissed Lynissara again, and she wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and held him there long enough to flick her tongue across his bottom lip. He pulled back then with wide eyes. "Do you want to go for a walk? You know, get a moment alone?"

She thought back to the last night she had spent with him; just walking to the zeppelin the next morning had been a struggle, but it had been fantastic getting to the point of having a hard time walking. With that thought, she immediately agreed.

x~x

Faradin's sienna hide seemed to glow orange in the light of the fire, and yet where the fire didn't touch it was almost silver in the moonlight. Aladey couldn't stop staring at him. He was telling her tale after tale about his training and life on the plains, but she could only focus on the sparkle in his eyes and the soft upward curve of his mouth. Only a little while after Lynissara had left to do whatever it was she needed to do, they had both agreed they couldn't sleep, and moved to sit by the bonfire. Aladey leaned on a crate and Faradin sat cross-legged, chatting casually, and Aladey could only think about how much she wanted to sit in his lap and feel his big, warm arms around her.

They hadn't spoken of all the little signals they'd been giving each other, of when Faradin commented on what he loved about her, or about the way they kept looking at each other. Lynissara knew; she had picked up on it from the beginning, and kept making little comments. _I love the way his voice lights up when he talks about you, Aladey. Aww, you two are so cute, the way you look at the moon together! He's so caring._ Aladey had heard so many of these comments from her that she couldn't even imagine what Faradin had heard, or worse, what Lynissara might have said to him.

Lynissara herself was held in high opinion from Aladey. Aladey had found her cousin to be generally cheerful, laughing a lot and making a fair number of bad jokes, but with an undertone of authority and experience in her every move, look, and word. She was incredible in battle, as well; Lynissara had invited several tauren braves to spar with her in their almost-week at Bloodhoof, and none of them even came close to her level of skill. But Aladey respected her more for this due to the fact that Lynissara, rather than being an arrogant bully, used her expertise to help teach the braves certain tips and tricks she knew. Lynissara was the only paladin Aladey had met who relied almost entirely on natural ability and only called on the Light as a last resort. When Aladey had asked her about this, Lynissara had replied that the Light comes when it wishes, and not to any one person's call, and thus Lynissara would rather know she can rely on natural ability.

"Aladey?" Faradin said, his soft voice pulling her from her thoughts. She jolted and looked up at him, and a shy smile crossed her lips.

"Sorry; I was just… I was marveling at how amazing Lynissara is."

Faradin smiled. "That's one impressive paladin, I'll give her that."

Aladey felt a small spark of jealousy, but quashed it. Her smile broadened and she sighed contently. "She's going places. I may have been the 'hero' of Eversong and the Ghostlands, but Lyn won a _war._ That's not the same as killing corpses that are already dead."

"Not to mention freeing over-run villages, restoring natural balance, taking out entire populations of hostile trolls, and eradicating an entire region of arcane taint, but you're right, no big deal."

Aladey let her eyes meet Faradin's and saw him smiling warmly at her. She sighed again. "I'm not saying I'm completely incompetent; I'm just saying that Lyn is easily the most respectable person I've met. I can't imagine the horrors she's seen, and I don't envy her, but I know she's stronger than she gives herself credit for, and even stronger than she appears. I don't just mean physically."

Faradin nodded. "What about her uncle? Your father? Have you gotten to talk to her about it at all?"

Aladey swallowed heavily, now staring into the small fire they sat next to her rather than meeting his eyes. "I'm… I'm not sure if I'm ready to ask her about him. She hasn't brought it up, and I'm not sure if or when I should. I'm curious, sure, but part of me is terrified to discover the truth."

Faradin reached over and let his big hand gently rub her back, and then he leaned over and gently kissed her temple. She felt her cheeks flush red and a wealth of butterflies flutter through her chest and looked up at him. He looked down at her and said, "It'll work out, one way or the other."

And she realized then that she never wanted to leave his side, for any reason.

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N:** i don't even remember wtf this story is

pls read my stuff

lul.

i'm having a really hard day otherwise i'd have my usual nice pretty author note but not this time nope.

have a good day.

pls review so i feel loved.


	13. Chapter Thirteen: These Paladins

Chapter Thirteen: Yet Another Elf Paladin

Lielatha appeared in Sunstrider Isle without warning, as poor and as beautiful as she could be. Jesthenis Sunstriker took her immediately into the Sunspire and had a long talk with her, but even from where he listened one floor above, Alathan could derive no more about who this woman might be than he had upon first seeing her.

She had a truly unique appearance. Her hair fell in long, straight locks, framing her face, and was the shade of moonlight on gold, a beautiful silvery blonde. Her skin was dark pink over a round, unmarked face composed of round cheeks and thick lips. She was as muscular and, evidently, well-trained as a fledgling paladin should be, and Alathan witnessed that when he watched her take out six mana wyrms and ten lynxes in less than sixteen minutes. She was a force to be reckoned with, but she wouldn't even tell Jesthenis where her skills came from; according to her, she simply practiced with a blade, and the paladin abilities came naturally. There was no explanation he could think of.

She now sat at a table, too beautiful to approach, eating a block of cheese on soft breads one slice at a time each. He yearned to go and speak to her, but after what happened with Aladey, he dared not. He would not make a fool of himself in front of a beautiful girl again, and he was still terrified that Aladey would show back up. He had heard the rumors of what she became after she left- she reclaimed Eversong Woods, saved the Ghostlands, and tracked down her rich and famous paladin cousin, and was now off travelling. And after Jesthenis had witnessed his treatment of the exceedingly powerful mage girl, Alathan had been disowned. His sword been replaced with a mop, and in a place so wrought with magic that it cleaned itself, he had been given a custodial position. He deserved it, but it definitely made talking to girls like Lielatha much harder.

Suddenly, she set down her bread and cheese and quickly wrapped them up, stuffing them back in her pack. He looked away, turning his head towards the academy, and began drinking his mug of water more steadily. It was the end of the day, and he could afford to take bigger gulps. He received rations of one mug of water, three strips of jerkey, two slices of cheese, and four slices of bread per day, and that was it. He could go refill his mug in the ponds or the ocean, of course, but the ponds were tainted by the crystals and the ocean didn't quite hydrate him so much as make him hallucinate. You only have to be caught mumbling in your sleep about naked draenei women once to teach you not to drink the ocean water.

"Why have you been staring at me?"

The silky-smooth, deeper-pitched female voice caught him completely off-guard, and Alathan nearly jumped out of his skin; though he remained within his own body, his water did not manage the same with his cup, and half of it splashed onto his legs.

But it was okay when a honey-sweet chuckle came from beside him, and the voice sounded again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make a mess of things already." He looked up at her, his eyes wide and completely awestruck, as she continued with a small shrug, "I have a hard time meeting people. Things always go wrong."

He gulped heavily, and then glanced back at his soaked lap and then back at her. He mentally shook himself and leapt to his feet. "Me, too," he replied. "Sorry for the late reaction, I just wasn't expecting… Well, anyway. You get what I mean."

He dared another glance at the face that seemed to make his brain go fuzzy, and saw she wore a small, easy smile on those full lips. "It's fine. I'm Lielatha, but I go by Li."

"Leah-what? I'm sorry. Could you give that to me one more time, just to make sure I'm pronouncing it right?"

"Lielatha. Lee-uh-la-tha."

He nodded. "Okay. I'm Alathan."

She smirked. "Could you give that to me one more time?"

"Al-uh-than." He paused. "Oh. You were… Right."

She chuckled again. "Sorry. Like I said, not the best with people."

"I see that." He smiled. "So, tell me, how is a girl like you so inexperienced with social interaction?"

She cocked an eyebrow, and one hand found her hip. "A girl like me? What does that entail?"

"Incredibly beautiful, with a voice like ocean waves and the face of a goddess."

She tossed her head back and laughed.

"Not to mention a laugh like bells ringing," he added.

She finished laughing and shook her head at him, grinning widely. "Well, aren't you smooth? And who are you around here?"

He cleared his throat, searching for a way to impress this girl. "I am in charge of the unit that distributes and ascertains cleanliness and organization among the isle."

"You're a janitor."

"Precisely. I was trying to find a fancy way to say that, but, of course, it didn't work."

She smiled, though there was a mischievous glow in her eye. "It often doesn't with me. My sword isn't the only sharp thing I own."

"Hopefully not too sharp a tongue."

"Tongues can be sharp, but best when wit is sharper."

He looked up at her. "Did you just come up with that?"

She smiled and shrugged. "It's something a friend used to say."

Still dying to know more of her background, he pressed, "Oh? And who was this friend?"

She looked away. "Nobody of significance anymore." She looked over at him, her smile now strained. "And nobody you would know." She glanced up at the sky, her eyes tracing the stars for a brief moment, and then looked back at him. "Now then, if you don't mind, I've work to do tomorrow, and a good night's rest would be much appreciated. Goodnight, Alathan. I look forward to our next chat."

She strode away without response, and he barely remembered to call after her, "Goodnight, Li!"

He stayed standing there for a long moment, his thoughts racing. That girl was something else entirely from anyone else he had known. That wasn't to discredit Aladey, or the farmgirl from home, or that innkeeper from Silvermoon. That was just to say that _this_ particular girl would mean something to him, and he already knew he would raid Stormwind if she asked him to.

That girl was dangerous.

And she knew it.

Two days later, Alathan was woken to toes prodding his side. He grumbled in his sleep and rolled over. His eyes slowly drifted open, his vision bleary, and then focused enough for him to see: Lielatha was standing over him, one hand on her hip- no, on the hilt of her sword- with an impatient expression and her foot quickly approaching his side again.

"Wake up," she said.

He sat up quickly from his mat on the floor of the Sunspire and rubbed his eyes, and then paused for a moment. _What does my hair look like? I'm not wearing a shirt, or boots- what if my feet are ugly? Can feet be ugly?_ He dared a peek at his toes, and sighed inwardly. _Yes, feet can definitely be ugly, and mine are, and Lielatha is going to run screaming if she ever looks too closely at them. Is that a hair on my toe?_

"Alathan!"

"Sorry!" He leapt to his feet, quickly sliding his "ugly" feet into his boots, and then grabbed a shirt and pulled it on, all the while asking, "What is it? What do you need?"

She began pacing as he pulled on his gloves and pulled back his hair, and she explained, "You remember that asshole Felendren who we've had to kill so many times, but always manages to come back every few months or so? Solanian has a new method: slice-and-dice the corpse and set it on fire. So I need you to help me find a mage or otherwise a very long-lasting torch." She paused, glancing at him as his fingers fumbled to tie up his hair, and asked, "Can you fight at all?"

He gulped. "I- I can, but I'm not allowed to."

"Why not?"

"I abused my power. I treated someone badly, and it was witnessed, and I'm not allowed to use a weapon."

She stared at him for a long moment. "Then I suggest you work on your hand-to-hand combat skills, because I'm going to need backup." She took a deep breath, and then ran a hand through her hair and glanced to the door. "Meet me at the base of the Academy with that fire, be it from a person or a torch. We're ending this today, and you're going to be with me when I do."

With that, she strode out, her powerful form clad in green mail and silver chainmail, her sword glinting at her side and golden shield hanging off her back. She disappeared into the foggy dawn, and he still stood there, absolutely amazed and positively confused.

He snapped out of it and finished getting ready, and as he sat eating a quick breakfast, the sound of mail chinking drew his attention to the approaching form of Delios, Alathan's trainer. His silver hair reflected the gathering morning sunlight, and he carried a heavy pack in his hand, which he swung forward to drop on the table in front of Alathan, who jumped slightly and looked over.

"What's this?" Alathan asked.

Delios gave him a hard glare. "I heard your conversation with the new paladin girl. Help her with the academy and you can keep these, but I'm going to be keeping an eye on you. Betray that sword again and you'll be worse than a custodian."

He nodded solemnly, and then Delios walked away without another word. Alathan, feeling a nervousness with only a small hint of optimism growing in his stomach, reached forward and untied the string holding the sack closed. It fell open, and there on the table was the entirety of his armor and weaponry from before his mistreatment of Aladey.

A muffled cry escaped his mouth and he felt ecstasy soar through him. _My armor! My sword!_ He felt like crying. He wrapped his arms around the whole bundle and pulled it to him, and sat hugging it for a long moment.

 _My armor._

He met Lielatha at the Academy twenty minutes later, fully armored with his blade at his side. He had found a fledgling mage named Loramir Starstrider, apparently once descended from nobility but now rejected by his family. His dark red hair only added to the pale contrast of his forlorn face, and his entire mien belied his endless despair. Alathan found the beautiful and intimidating paladin girl waiting at the base of the academy, her arms crossed and an impatient expression across her face.

"Come _on,_ warrior," she said. "I already got you back your weapons. And who is this with you? Hopefully a little more punctual than you, if unaware of the timing."

"I'm actually the reason he's late," the mage answered. "I'm Loramir Starstrider, I-"

"I don't honestly care. Let's go."

She led the way up the first ramp, with the baffled warrior and soul-wearied mage just behind. For sin'dorei, he thought, Lielatha was the only one of the trio who was actually worth the title of blood elf. Loramir was just kind of worthless, aside from his magical abilities, and Alathan himself was still laced with guilt due to what had transpired with Aladey, and he was reduced to custodian except to help someone who very obviously didn't need his help.

As they wiped out the first of the dark shades that the academy seemed to produce on its own, he finally grew the courage to ask, "So why do you want me here?"

The paladin had single-handedly slaughtered all four initial shades; he had barely had time to block a blow by the time they were dead. The mage was staring blankly into space and eating recently-conjured bread. Lielatha now turned to him, exasperation lining her features. "I like having company, and I needed to retrieve back-up. I need another blood elf." She cast a questioning glance to Loramir, who was still eating his bread, and added, "Maybe two."

As he followed her through the academy, his battle vigor coming back as they went on (though he still remained piteously irrelevant to the actual tide of battle), he couldn't help but wonder at her words.

What would she need another blood elf for?

And why was she so secretive about it?

Perhaps there was a reason she was so standoffish.

 **xxxxxxx**

 **A/N:** And so it continues, the endless line of blood elf paladins.


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Apprehension

Chapter Fourteen: Apprehension

 _Stranglethorn Vale_

"There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Faradin looked up in surprise at the apprehension lacing Lynissara's tone and face. The paladin looked more nervous than he had ever seen her; in the few weeks he had known her, Lynissara had always been composed, humorous, or honor-based, or all three. She had a dry wit about her and stood by her values and never seemed to crumble. Now, he saw, she was actually _shaking-_ and just to introduce them to someone?

"Who?" Aladey asked, wariness in her voice and her eyes narrowed. "Why are you so nervous?"

"It's… A man. That I'm in- involved with. Who's quite unorthodox."

Faradin glanced at Aladey; whatever was happening between them was quite unorthodox as well. What would Lynissara be so worried about? A thought crossed his mind, but he squashed it down; there's no way Lynissara would be disloyal to the Horde. She was a war hero, for Sun's sake, and there was no way she'd do that.

"Well," he said, rising to his feet, "Let's go meet him."

Lynissara's eyes grew wide; she was wringing her hands. "Are you sure?"

Aladey glanced at Faradin and then stood as well, shrugging her small shoulders. "I guess so."

Lynissara glanced around the base camp and then nodded. "Okay. Let's go. But make sure we aren't followed."

This was all getting very suspicious. Damned blood elves and their secrets. Faradin began to follow the two cousins through the forest, their slender elven frames adding little noise to the quiet morning forest as sunlight streamed through the jungle trees. Meanwhile, Faradin was having to find alternate routes and try not to trample every stick and leaf in sight; for once, being this big wasn't necessarily a good thing. Even Greywing was quieter than him, as she swooped through the overhead branches, ducking down now and then to swallow whole mice and smaller birds. Finally, Lynissara led them down a trail to the shore, and then followed it just inside the forest where the trees and undergrowth thinned until they reached the opening of a cove, a deep hole that slipped away underground from the shore, falling into a ridge with a sparkling stream carving through the base of it.

"Your beau lives in a cove?" Aladey inferred, sounding like she was trying hard not to be condescending.

"No," Lynissara defended, "He's just visiting Stranglethorn."

"So why doesn't he stay in the base camp?"

Lynissara considered, and then said, "He's just… He's not a huge fan of orcs."

She snapped around and began all but marching down the cove without waiting for a response.

 _Well, he'll definitely_ love _a tauren, then,_ Faradin thought with a sigh, following them down the tunnel. He reached forward, placing a hand on Aladey's shoulder and whispering, "Get behind me."

She glanced back, her glowing green eyes temporarily flashing, and then nodded and stepped back behind him. He let out a soft breath of relief; he felt better knowing that if this was some kind of crazy trap plotted by a supposedly-honorable paladin, at least he would take the first hit. No more Aladey jumping in front and getting a javelin through the chest. That had happened one time too many.

As they neared the end of the cove, Faradin could hear distant voices ahead. By now, the sunlight had faded, except for a few shafts that fell through holes in the roof. It sparkled on the water and the white sand floor, but they were mostly in shadows. At least it was cooler in here than out in the sun.

Lynissara paused here and turned around, facing the other two. Faradin could see Aladey's ears pricked up toward the sound of voices.

"There's something I should tell you," Lynissara said quietly, her voice bouncing off the walls.

"We aren't going to like this, are we?" Aladey replied, more a statement than a question. Lynissara didn't answer; she just bit her lip, and then took a deep breath.

"His name is Aldonn. He's a druid I met in Silverpine. His sister, Delaeda, is here, and her lover, Brunen."

 _Oh, shit. What have I gotten myself into?_

Faradin's hunch earlier had been right, he could already tell. Aladey was piecing it together, he could see on her face, and she was fuming quietly; her lips were pressed together, her jaw clenched, and there was a little wrinkle between her eyebrows.

"And?" Aladey snapped, the word short and abrupt.

"And…" Lynissara took another deep breath. "And they're all Alliance."

"I knew there was something bad going on!" Aladey shouted, turning around and starting to head out. Faradin reached for her.

"Aladey, wait! We don't know the full story!" He said, trying to catch her.

"We don't need to!" She exclaimed, still storming out. "She's disloyal to the Horde! She's been fraternizing with our enemy, knowingly, and now she wants to drag us into her mess!"

"Aladey, wait, please!" Lynissara called, and then Faradin, still a tail-length from Aladey, was shoved over into the stream as Lynissara raced by and tackled Aladey, pinning her to the sand.

"Get off me!" Aladey demanded, her voice harsh and gruff.

"No! Not until you listen to me!" Lynissara snapped. "There's more going on here than-"

She cut off with a yelp as Aladey shot flames from her hands onto Lynissara's leg. "Aladey!"

The mage rose to her feet, glaring. "You are _not_ about to involve me and Faradin in your mess. You should count yourself lucky we haven't already teleported out of here and told the warchief himself, or, I don't know, Lor'themar Theron himself. I think he'd like to know that one of his treasured war heroes has turned traitor. Maybe I should go straight to Sylvanas and let her have you; I'm sure she'd _love_ to know your life is now worthless."

Lynissara stepped back. Her voice was eerily soft, all the anger washed from it. Not a trace of sadness tinged her tone, only a soldier's composure. "Fine. Then go, and never ask for my help again. Never ask me about Reneiran Goldsong, or my guild, or gold, or tailoring. Be sure to tell Lord Irador as well; I'm sure it'll make his day. Oh, and if you happen across my parents, tell them, too. But when the world goes to shit because you were too hung up on so-called 'loyalty' to find out what would make a Horde war hero willing to help members of the Alliance, then there'll be no one left to tell, and all of the snitching and distrust and judgment will be for nothing. And Faradin? He'll be dead. So will you. So will I. So will everyone you just named. But it was your call, and you made your decision. I'll just take my worthless life back there, and you won't have to worry about me anymore."

Lynissara executed a perfect about-face and began to march back through the cave. Faradin moved so he was sitting in the stream, rather than just laying on his side, and tried to gauge Aladey's expression. She was staring open-mouthed down the cave at her cousin's retreating form; Faradin couldn't tell how she was feeling.

"Aladey..?" He said, his voice little more than a whisper.

"What, are you about to betray me, too?" She snapped. "Because that would just be the cherry on top of a perfect day."

"I haven't done anything but help you," Faradin replied, keeping his tone neutral. "There's no reason for that tone."

"No reason? My cousin betraying me and making me feel like the lowest piece of shit in Azeroth isn't enough of a reason?"

"No." Faradin pulled himself to his feet. "That isn't a reason because it isn't true. There's obviously a reason she brought us here, that she supposedly betrayed the Horde. You heard what she said; the whole world is in danger, and before she could even explain, you were screaming at her. Calm down for a moment and then go back there and figure out what's going on. There's more to it than we know. She probably feels betrayed as well."

"Good for her. She's a traitor."

"Aladey!"

The mage glared at him, her arms folded across her chest, and then turned around and walked away. Faradin started after her, but she held up a hand, calling out, "Don't follow me. I'm not in the mood."

He visibly sagged, watching her go, and turned around. Whether she was coming or not, and no matter how mad she got at him, he had to at least find out what was going on. He made his way to the back of the cove, where he found two night elves, a draenei, and Lynissara. They all rose to their feet, the female night elf holding a staff.

"Faradin," Lynissara said, clearing her throat in surprise. "You… Stayed? Where's Aladey?"

"Gone." He sighed. "But I had to do the right thing."

"I'm proud of you," Lynissara said softly, and then turned to the others. "This is Aldonn, his sister Delaeda, and her friend or lover or something, Brunen."

Faradin looked at the three and nodded. They were easy to pick out; Aldonn had medium blue skin and dark blue hair, which fell down his back and grew in a long beard on his face. Delaeda had peachy pink skin, an angular jaw, and long bright green hair, and carried a gnarled oaken staff. Brunen was the only draenei, with a beard of tentacles clasped in a golden band and shoulder-length dark blue hair falling to the back of his neck from a bright blue scalp. And they were all so _foreign._ He had met their kinds in battle, but never as people. Now, seeing the intelligence and emotion in their faces, he felt more than a little apprehensive.

"I'm Faradin," he finally said, clearing his throat and trying not to feel overwhelmed. "I'm… Well, I _was_ a friend of Lynnisara's cousin."

"We've heard about you," Delaeda replied, her voice deep and lightly accented. "It's good that you came to help."

"What's this about?" He asked, wanting to get to the point and know he'd done the right thing.

"Come, sit by the fire," Brunen invited. "You'll want to be sitting for this."

He nodded warily, taking a seat next to Lynnisara, who sat between him and Aldonn. Brunen was on Faradin's other side, almost as big as the tauren, who sat awkwardly taking up a fair amount of space in the smaller-seeming cove. He glanced around, feeling his fur stand up, and his tail-tip twitched.

"Where to begin," Delaeda said, breaking him out of his thoughts. She sighed. "My mentor in Darnassus said that almost all of the night elven druids have gone into druids' sleep, and are unreachable, or are otherwise reluctant to assist in this. I've had nightmares upon nightmares ever since hearing… Tyrande Whisperwind informed me recently that Ashenvale is home to some dark evil, some corruption. She doesn't believe it to be a result of the Horde invasion, but some other darkness, and it's spreading. She's enlisted me to go and fight it. I need a group, though. Aldonn is an excellent fighter in his bear form. I'm alright as a panther, but I'm better at healing than anything. Brunen is a warrior, and Lynnisara is a paladin. Between us four, we can do some damage, but we aren't a powerful enough group to take on something corrupting that large of an area."

"So, why aren't you affected like the other druids?" Faraden asked, suspicion clear in his tone.

"I think it's due to my recent travels," she answered. "Everything was fine when I left to visit Goldshire, where I met Brunen and then left to go find my brother in Silverpine. We stayed there for the last month of the war, and then he left to Stranglethorn, we returned to Goldshire, and then we went to Darnassus and discovered this."

Faradin nodded. "And how do we know it's actual evil?"

"I've seen it." Delaeda looked down, her yellow eyes reflecting the glow of the fire as she studied the ashes around it. "I had a dream two nights ago that showed me the demon lord, raising impish beings and burning the forest, torturing its creatures. If this evil is spreading north, it could spread south, as well."

She looked pointedly at Faradin, and his mind finally wrapped around what she was saying. He gasped.

"Mulgore."

 _Silvermoon City_

Dusk fell across the golden and silver city, moonlight dappling the trees and paved streets. Looking around, it was hard for Alathan to believe this place had once been host to the entire horde of scourge, led by the Lich King himself. It was too beautiful, and Lielatha, sitting next to him on a street-side bench, only added to the beauty surrounding him. But her beauty was tainted by the mistrust roiling in his mind. There was something about the beautiful paladin girl that he simply couldn't trust. Her dark peach skin was wrinkled in frustration as some train of thought seemed to distress her, and her silver hair cast shadows across her face. Alathan took a deep breath, and, finally, he asked her.

"What's going on? Why do you need me?"

She met his eyes. "Blood."

"What!?"

 _I knew there was something strange about this all,_ he thought, but there was nothing evil in her face as she explained. "There is a demon lord in Ashenvale. I know him; he killed my family. It's my responsibility to bring an end to his miserable life. I need another blood elf to distract him. The smell of blood is irresistible to him, and if I can get sin'dorei blood especially, it will draw his attention like nothing else, thereby enabling me to land the killing blow. He's too powerful for me to take alone, and I can't risk making myself bleed."

"You could have told me that."

"And you would have gone for it?" She snapped. "I'm asking you to risk your life for me to get petty vengeance against a _demon lord."_

"So what did you expect to happen? We stroll into its lair and then you tell me?" He sighed. "I may have done the wrong thing before but I'm not _that_ dense. I'd like to atone for my wrongs."

Now Lielatha was suspicious. "What _wrongs_ have you done?"

He sighed again. Maybe she would see this as more reason for him to risk his life, and on the way there he could explain himself to get back in her good standing. Or maybe she would simply hate him. Either way, he had to tell her.

"I… When I first came to Sunstrider Isle, I met a girl named Aladey, a mage. She was beautiful and intelligent and talented, and I liked her from the moment I met her. But I mistreated her. Within two days of her and I working together, I… Well, I basically tried to lay claim to her. I was very territorial, and I knew I was physically stronger than her."

Lielatha's eyes narrowed to slits. "And?"

"And she kicked my ass, said she was too strong to be told what to do, and never spoke to me again. My combat privileges were revoked and I was sentenced to custodial duties."

Lielatha's eyes widened, and then she burst out laughing. "Are you _serious?_ You thought you could tell a mage what to do, and she kicked your ass? And you were made a _custodian?"_

As the paladin continued to laugh heartily, Alathan sighed. "I know, I know. Laugh all you want. My point is, I mistreated her, and I've felt bad for it since."

"Alathan," Lielatha said, finally finding some composure but still grinning, "That girl has moved on and paved her own way by now. No part of her brain or heart is still thinking about the ass from Sunstrider who tried to tell her what to do. She has no reason to still be thinking about it. I get the whole feeling guilty part, but just know, a girl that strong isn't going to be worried about little ol' you, back here in Eversong feeling sorry for yourself for being an ass."

"I just-" He paused, realizing he had no reason to defend himself. "Alright."


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Decisions

**Chapter Fifteen: Decisions**

Lynissara was on the crash-course to panic.

For once, her anxiety was in no way related to dead undead, huge monsters, war, large clans of vicious wild animals, or introducing estranged family members to forbidden love interests. It had nothing to do with being caught in a bad situation, losing all her money, or even being kicked out of her guild.

It had been a week since Aladey and Faradin were told about Aldonn; currently, Faradin was traveling with Aldonn, Delaeda, and Brunen to the Barrens, where Aladey knew to meet them if she changed her mind, and where Lynissara would be traveling after a guild meet in Orgrimmar.

She settled in her chair in the inn, the first to arrive, an hour early. A tavernkeep strode by, a pretty troll girl, and stopped to ask her if she'd like a drink. The request for a tankard of ale hung on her tongue, but recent events stopped her. As much as she wanted to forget her troubles, it wasn't an option right now.

"Ice cold milk, please," she requested instead. "Oh- and Dalaran Sharp on Moist Cornbread."

"Tough Jerky for only forty more copper?"

Lynissara forced a smile. "Sure."

She paid and the tavernkeep left to get her food. Lynissara was dressed as casually as she had in forever; her trademark ponytail had dropped so her hair fell around her shoulders, and she wasn't wearing any armor. Instead, she wore a simple cotton tunic, brown linen pants, and leather boots, with her guild tabard over the top. It was the first time she'd approached a guild meet as a woman, and not as a paladin. It was the first time she'd approached _anything_ that way, and it was stranger than anything else she'd experienced in the past few baffling months.

A familiar middle-aged orc entered the tavern, and she rose to her feet with a wide grin.

"Bear!" She greeted the shaman, who opened his arms.

"Lyn!"

She strode forward and hugged the orc singularly responsible for her success. He had supplied her gold when she was poor, armor when she was bruised, and ore when she was inexperienced. He was the best guild leader a girl could ask for, and probably the best member of the Horde. They walked back over their seats just as the tavernkeep returned.

"Anyting fer te man?" The troll woman asked, and Bear looked up at her with his usual smile.

"A tankard of ale, please," he said, and she nodded, set down Lynissara's plate, and disappeared into the back once more.

"You doing alright?" Bear asked after the troll disappeared, and Lynissara looked over at the man she once trusted with her life. She couldn't tell him what was really bothering her. She smiled.

"Honestly? No. I have a special paladin mission approaching, and my only choice is to go through with it. But…"

"But you're not coming back, are you?"

She offered a sad smile to the intuitive shaman. Bear had been a close friend of hers, a mentorly figure who would do almost anything she asked. It wasn't that he was taken advantage of; he simply cared a great deal for his guild-mates. And when she entered the guild, she became family to him. She hated saying goodbye like this.

Bear rose and took her hand, lifting her to her feet as well, and then gave her a namesake bear hug. His bulging, muscular orc arms wrapped around her small elven frame, and she hugged him back just as emphatically. She would miss him, but she knew now that she had reached the point of no return.

"I'll miss you, Lyn. You've been a wonderful guild-mate."

"And you've been the best guild leader I could've had the pleasure of knowing." She tried to hold back the tears pricking at her eyes, instead focusing on the hug. Bear ended the hug and she reached into her coinpurse, pulling it out.

"I have the 250 gold you loaned me when I was poor, if you'd like that back."

He smiled and gently put his hand on hers, lowering it. "Keep it. Spoil yourself in whatever time you have left."

She returned his kind smile. "Thank you, Bear. I wish you and the Riders of Eternity the best."

"And to you, Lynissara. The guild will never forget you."

With that, she turned and strode out, trying to keep from breaking down. Out in Orgrimmar, she made her way to the Zeppelin tower, and sat at the balcony waiting. The goblin Zeppelin-master looked away as she finally broke down, unable to hold it in long enough to wait for the zeppelin. She would never, ever lose this guild tabard.

 **xxx**

 _Undercity - Same Night_

Aladey Goldsong was done with all of it and she was damned and determined to end all this nonsense.

Faradin had left her. Her cousin had left her. Both had left the Horde, and would still be seen as honorable, dignified members of the faction Aladey owed her existence to. Maybe they could forget that, but she couldn't. And she would find a way to end all the meddling and disloyalty and battles, at whatever cost was necessary.

She strode down the canal, ignoring the disgustingly admiring looks from the undead, and wondered at how Lynissara ever got past the smell long enough to fight at the side of these grotesque creatures. She never could, she knew that much. She wondered also at how she'd ever gotten past the smell of tauren long enough to befriend Faradin, who was no longer any form of a friend to her. He had chosen the Alliance over _her;_ she would never forgive that. Never.

She finally reached the right tunnel and started down it. This was her chance; she was going to become famous as the girl who outed two traitors and freed the Horde from those two disloyal, unbearable renegades. They think they can just go rogue for whatever stupid mission an Alliance woman invented? It doesn't work that way, sweetheart. Not in Aladey's Horde.

She reached the main cavern and spotted the Dark Lady herself: Sylvanas Windrunner, elegant and deadly Banshee Queen, stood at the center of the temple, at the top of a set of steps. Aladey's breath caught in her throat; she had never been so intimidated as now. _Lynissara actually worked with her?_

"State your business," growled the gravely voice of a Deathwatch guard. Aladey looked over at him.

"I must report a traitor to Sylvanas."

" _Lady_ Sylvanas," the guard corrected. "Go forth."

She continued up the steps, and was suddenly pinned by Sylvanas's glowing crimson gaze. The realization hit Aladey that this had once been a beautiful, spritely high elf, a member of the quel'dorei, the lost race of old. Now red eyes met green, neither the sapphire blue of the past, and yet, it wasn't eye color that was so off-putting about meeting the Banshee Queen.

There was nothing symbolic of emotion in Sylvanas's eyes- except for fury.

Aladey felt her blood turn cold, washing out of her face and leaving her paled and frightened. _This was the woman she was going to turn in her only friends to?_ She knew what she should do; she should march forward and report Faradin and Lynissara's betrayal, tell her that they can be found somewhere between the Barrens and Ashenvale, inform her that they were dallying with Alliance-

But caught under that gaze, Aladey knew at once that doing so would mean their death. The thought of Faradin's warm brown eyes eternally reduced to lifeless marbles…

The words flew from her throat and in a sudden flash of blue, she was in Thunderbluff.

 **xxx**

 _Zeppelin Tower - Orgrimmar_

"Damn! Missed it. We'll have to wait for the next one."

As the Zeppelin left from the tower toward Thunderbluff, Alathan felt relief; there was another blood elf woman on the Zeppelin already, and he didn't think he could take any more of blood elf women. They were… Fierce, beautiful, and far more dominant than he was. It was highly embarrassing to even exist in the same realm as them. He almost wanted to move to the middle of Terokkar Forest in the Outlands, but he figured he'd be found by a blood elf woman somehow. He glanced over at Lielatha, who was staring after the Zeppelin in envy.

"You've got an hour wait," informed the Zeppelin-master, a goblin man standing at parade rest at the dock. Lielatha sighed and turned to Alathan.

"Want to head down to an inn and grab a bite to eat? I know you haven't eaten much since we left Silvermoon, and that was two days ago. And no, a hunk of bread on a zeppelin yesterday morning does not count as food."

Alathan didn't bother arguing. Lielatha's mind was made up, and that was it. "Alright, sure."

"Great!"

They left the zeppelin tower and were soon entering a crowded and busy inn. By the wealth of gray tabards with silver triquetras, it seemed they'd intruded on a guild meet. A boisterous green orc man was leading, standing in a circle of Horde members and informing them of upcoming guild events for the month. As Alathan followed Lielatha across the inn to a small table in a shadowy corner, he listened in to the guild meet.

"...Monthly food competition on the 17th, Darkmoon Faire coming in on the 1st, and…"

"Where's Lynissara?" asked a green-skinned troll man, a hunter with a tiger laying at his feet.

"She… She won't be returning."

Outbursts responded to his words as Alathan sat down, and he noticed Lielatha also paying earnest attention to the guild meet.

"Why not!"

"How!"

"Did she quit the guild!?"

"When did she leave!"

"Alright, alright," said the guild-master, "Settle down, settle down. She met me here tonight to say she was going on a final paladin mission, one she didn't believe herself to be returning from. I hold the firm belief she will miraculously survive; she's a Horde war hero, for crying out loud, and isn't easily overcome. But she seemed very serious about the fact she won't be back, and as much as we all love Lyn, we have to respect that. She did make the generous contribution of 250 gold before she left, but I asked her to keep it, because she thinks she'll be dead soon."

There was silence following his words, and it seemed the guild was composed of half-hopes and grief. No one liked losing a guild-mate, but then Alathan saw the scrutinizing and calculating expression painted across Lielatha's face.

"Li?"

She snapped out of it, looking over at him. "That paladin lied to her entire guild. No paladin mission ever calls for the death of the paladin directly, which means… She was looking for an excuse to go somewhere she shouldn't be, without anyone following. And I bet I know where she's going."

"How?"

"Because she's probably on the same mission I am. I can feel it; there's a bond between paladins, and her energies are still here. She had a lot else on her mind- Alliance members, a relative or close friend that betrayed her, and… Oh. Oh, that's not good."

Alathan, feeling completely lost in the dark, widened his eyes. "What? What's not good?"

"She's going to Ashenvale, and… She's pregnant."

 **xxxxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N:** Sorry it's been so long! I didn't realize I actually had readers on this, haha. So here's a new chapter! How do you guys like where it's going?

Think Lyn's really pregnant?

Will she ever return to the Horde?

What's up with Aladey's changing mind? Will she actually "betray the Horde" and side with her cousin and best friend?

~Also, shout-out to the best guild _ever_ ; when I restarted playing WoW about half a year ago, I was on the realm Scarlet Crusade and didn't have anything, and found the guild Riders of Eternity. (Yes, I was playing a blood elf paladin named Lynissara who had golden hair in a ponytail and went through the Silverpine Forest questline, but it led to this!) The gm, Bear, was an amazing person. He found out I was new to the server and gave me 250 gold and 4 Netherweave bags and a guild tabard as a "starter pack". He was a wonderful gm, and the whole guild was like that. I was trying to get my blacksmithing skill up, everyone gave me copper ore. Needed something from the Auction House and complained once about not having gold for it, someone sent it to me in the mail. They were an _awesome_ guild. Sadly, I was on a shared account, and the accountholder stopped paying, and my laptop can't run WoW so I have no way to play right now. But I thought it would be nice to include my wonderful guild, since they were essential in Lynissara's rise to power.

~~~Also! There's one more thing. I'm planning a sequel to this, and if you have an OC you'd like to see included, TELL ME! Either PM me or leave it in a review, but I need characters and I know you have them. Send me a description of your main, of your alt, what have you. Faction is irrelevant; I need characters of any race, gender, class, sexuality, and so on. Give me a first and last name, sexuality, race, class, love interest if you have it, and some basic background/personality. Lemme know!


	16. Chapter Sixteen: The Barrens

**Chapter Sixteen: The Barrens**

 _Thunderbluff - Next Morning_

The Zeppelin approached the tower at the same time as a bright, flashing blue light illuminated the entire tower.

"Full speed ahead, crew!" yelped the captain of the Zeppelin, an endearing, if scatter-brained, goblin man. Lynissara stood on the deck, combing out her warhorse's pelt, and started re-tacking the horse. Once he was successfully redressed, she guided him toward the ship exit, and by that point the Zeppelin had reached the dock in Mulgore. Lynissara led the horse off of the Zeppelin, and then looked up in surprise.

There in front of her was a panting, distressed, gold-skinned, red-haired, freckle-faced, tiny-framed mage girl with wilting, pointy ears and a dull look in her eyes.

"Aladey?"

The paladin's cousin met her eyes, and nodded. "Yes, 'tis I, Aladey, the bad side of the Horde."

Lynissara grinned. "Welcome to the bad side, then. So you're actually joining us in the Barrens?"

"Yes, and we should probably hurry, because I may have told a guard in the Undercity I needed to talk to Sylvanas to report a traitor and then teleported out of there as fast as possible once I actually saw the Dark Lady in person."

"Aladey!"

"How dead are we?"

"Undead if we don't leave soon, and we don't want that. Come on!"

She raced through the tower as fast as she could with her warhorse, and Aladey met her at the bottom, having magically lessened her fall speed and jumped off. Aladey conjured her own mount, a white talbuk that she could teleport in and out, and then mounted the talbuk as Lynissara mounted the warhorse. They rode to the elevators and then down to the plains, soon galloping across Mulgore. It was beautiful in Mulgore at sunrise, the plains painted rose and gold by the glow over the mountains, but they had no time to stop and appreciate the beauty. The centaur problem had been taken care of, but there was still enough wildlife to keep them moving fast, and Lynissara was sure Aladey wasn't particularly keen on running into any locals, either.

They approached the edge of the plains and slowed through the mountain pass, where tauren guards kept an eye on all who passed. Lynissara glanced behind herself at the distant rise of Thunderbluff, and then spotted the dots of mounted guards coming down the path at full speed, windriders overhead to follow. That's a whole troop.

She hurried to follow Aladey out of the pass, and then, once out of earshot, stopped Aladey.

"They have wind-riders looking for us. We have to get disguises, or hurry."

Aladey glanced at her hands. "I have one idea, but you won't like it."

 **xxx**

"Nissa!"

Aldonn rose with a happy smile as Lynissara approached. Aladey watched as the happy couple embraced, and she stopped a short distance away. They were in a small copse of savannah trees in the hills, and had successfully left the wind-riders behind, though they still circled in the distance, searching for the traitors. Aladey spotted Faradin sitting and laughing with Delaeda and Brunen, who Lynissara had explained on the way, though all three stopped to pay attention as Aldonn asked, "Where's Aladey?"

The paladin, dressed in farmer's clothes, bit her lip. "Um… She's- here…"

"Here where?"

Lynissara held in a laugh, but it erupted out of her, and amid her chortling she managed to point at the sheep. All the others looked at Aladey, now dressed in white wool and hooves, and Aladey wanted to protest.

"Baaa," was all she could say.

Suddenly, something her ears- whether long and pointed or short and ovular- had yearned to hear for days now carried through the air and enticed her with utmost pleasure. Faradin's exuberant laugh, the kind that squinted his eyes closed and forced his mouth up at the edges, the kind that tensed his abdomen and left his hand on his belly, fell out of his mouth in thundering bursts, as the rest glanced between him and the polymorphed mage. She willed herself to turn back into an elf, but she knew she still had a quarter of an hour until she would be herself again. Until then, she was stuck in this shape.

"That's really her?" Faradin laughed, "The sheep?"

If sheep could blush, her wool would be scarlet at this point.

Faradin rose to his hooves, and walked over. "Now we both have hooves! Lyn, you mind if I steal her for a few minutes?"

"She's all yours," Lynissara answered, grinning. "Though you should know she'll be a powerful and dangerous mage again in about fourteen minutes."

"Oh, I think I can manage."

"If you say so. So, Aldonn…"

As Lynissara and Aldonn continued to talk, Aladey was lifted by the tauren and carried away from the small campsite. They reached a small cave in a bordering hill, and by the time they were far enough in to not be seen from outside, Aladey only had a few more minutes till she'd be elf again.

Faradin set her down and then sat down across from her. "You came back. I must admit, I'm surprised, more so than I was that you left us in the first place." He was sobered now, no laughter. "And while you can't talk, I'm going to say my piece. You have been one of the most fantastic women I've ever met, Aladey, and I never wanted you to leave my side. I never wanted you to feel I had betrayed you. But I knew- as I suspect you now do- that there was no way a Horde war-hero would intentionally betray her people just for fun. There had to be a reason why she would ask for us to meet a member of the Alliance.

"And there was. A demon-lord is destroying Ashenvale, and Delaeda- the night elf girl- can't kill him alone. Her brother, Aldonn, met Lynissara in Silverpine Forest; Delaeda is no happier about the relationship than you are. Nonetheless, they're all going to Ashenvale to stop this demon-lord. He isn't just a threat there; his darkness is spreading. Do you know what borders Ashenvale, Aladey? Mulgore. My home. My mother is within range of that monster. And you left before you even got the chance to hear us out."

Feeling sheepish was now more than a physical state for the mage.

"But you still came back, and I don't care anymore to hold in my feelings, because we're probably all dying in a week anyway. Aladey, I have felt a certain way for you since the night I met you, and you've only confirmed that feeling since. You are strong and beautiful and opinionated and determined and the most fierce mage I have ever met. I have spent hours trying to memorize the pattern of freckles on your cheeks; they're more unique and lovely than the stars themselves. I have never met someone who outshone the sun, who was more golden than the sunrise, more green than the grass of Mulgore. I've never met someone who had such a hidden strength, like a pine tree- bend, but never break. I've never met someone so resilient, so determined. I will never forget the passion you had when you tried to save my village from the centaurs, or the way my chest tore in two when I found your earring with that centaur and thought you might be dead.

"I'll never forget the moment I found you in that cave, stripped and half-starved and dying, or the way you almost immediately leapt back up to try and help, despite everything you had just been through. That was the moment… Anyway, I'll never forget you leaping in front of me and taking that halberd to the chest. I'll never forget the two days spent at your side praying to everything I could think of for you to live- just let her live, let my Aladey live, don't take her from me now. Aladey, you have always held a special place in my heart. And when you left in that cave, the only regret I had was that I hadn't told you how I felt first, and I might die without telling you.

"Now it doesn't have to be that way."

Less than a minute left.

"Now I can tell you I think you're the most beautiful girl in the world, because if you don't want that compliment, I'll be dead soon anyway, so it won't matter. I can tell you that I think you're honorable for your loyalty to the Horde, because you didn't realize the full story. I can tell you that my life would be nothing without you, that no Mulgore sunrise or pretty heifer or even any other blood elf could ever replace you, because you're the only woman I could ever want by my side. Aladey, I can tell you now that after everything, and because of everything, and in seeing who you are, I'm left with no doubt about it anymore, and no reason not to say it."

Two more seconds.

"I love you."

The words hung in the air as Aladey was morphed back into an elf. She stood staring at Faradin, her scarlet hair falling around her shoulders, wearing her usual purple robe, and her mouth hung open like the echoes of his words. By the glow of her eyes, she could see the look in his. There was dread, and hope, and an effort to keep any negative feelings concealed under a facade of strength. She had never met anyone so strong.

Her eyes welled up as she was overcome by the wealth of emotions filling the small cave; it was too small a space for all of this, there was no room for it all- and it put things in too much clarity.

They very well may die next week, and yet- and yet she regretted nothing. She didn't regret a single heartbeat spent with Faradin. Images entered her mind of them laughing, of her taking the halberd for him, of that night by the fire in the Grom'Gol base camp- and she knew then she had no doubt either.

"I love you, too, Faradin."

And she crawled into his lap, and finally, she kissed him.

It wasn't fireworks or explosions or feeling like she was flying; it wasn't the passion she felt when performing magic.

It was the first time in her life she felt grounded, secure, safe-

It was the first time in her life she felt truly at home.

 **xxx**

"Come for a walk with me."

Brunen looked up at surprise at Delaeda's request, and the druid forced a smile at him. He analyzed her face, and she knew he could tell there was something off about it. He rose to stand next to her, and she took his hand and led him a short distance away, to a hilltop away from the others. Aladey and Faradin had returned from the cave hand-in-hand, and were now chatting happily with Lynissara and Aldonn. Everyone was surprisingly warm-hearted and cheerful for them to be so close to almost-certain death; however, Delaeda had received some new information. She sat down Brunen, her legs stretched out down the hillside, and Brunen took her hand and kissed it and then stretched an arm behind her so she could lean on him. Feeling the warmth and sturdiness of his muscles, the vitality flowing through him, was more comfort than she could express.

"We win," she said.

He glanced over in surprise, his pale eyes glowing brightly. "What?"

"We win the battle. I've seen it."

His face rose in joy. "That's excellent!" He took her by her hips and pulled her into his lap, hugging her tightly. "Why aren't you excited?"

She felt her heart slamming against her ribs, and forced a smile, holding down the tears in her eyes. "It's… It's at a price. I can't say what, but it's at a high cost."

"I would pay any price to make you safe again."

She met his eyes tenderly, placing her palm on his cheek in a caress. "I appreciate that, Brunen. More than I can say."

"Delaeda, this means the whole of Azeroth will be safe once more. That matters more to me than anything else."

She rested her head on his chest, listening to the thrum of his hearts against his ribs. A long, silent sigh pulled from her lips. "Brunen, are you happy we met?"

"More than anything."

"Do you feel you made the right choice coming with us?"

"Of course. Delaeda, I will never regret the time I've shared with you; you took my existence from merely existing to living. You gave me life."

She squeezed her eyes shut. "Thank you, Brunen, for saying that. I want you to know how much I love you, how much I will always love you, no matter what happens."

He hugged her tightly. "I love you, too. I'm ready to return to Darnassus after all this, and have more of that elven cheese!"

Delaeda allowed herself a small laugh. "And I'll definitely take you there with me, Brunen. You can count on it."

She only wished she meant while they were both still alive- not just one of them. She knew her fate now, and had accepted it, but only hoped he would be alright as time went on.

 **xxxxxxxxx**

 **A/N:** I kind of wrote about 10K in the past couple of days and finished this, so that'll be coming up in the upcoming weeks. Plans for the sequel continue, though my Harry Potter story will be occupying me for all of the next month, because I haven't updated it in forever.

I still need OCs for the sequel; if you've got 'em, send 'em in!


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Collapse

_Border of Stonetalon Mountains & The Barrens - One Night Later_

Lynissara had stepped away from the main group and sat with her hand on her stomach, feeling the small but defined bump there with the most anxiety she had ever experienced. It was too late to back out of the battle with so much at stake, and her own mistakes couldn't be put in front of the needs of the whole of Azeroth. Traitor or not, she couldn't watch the world be destroyed by her disloyalty. She would still have to fight, no matter the risk.

But the tears welled up and out of her eyes, streaking down her face regardless of her attempts at strength, and soon she was doubled over in the tall grass, no longer the strong paladin she wanted to be. She had suppressed the morning sickness, worn enough armor to hide the bump, and done everything else she could to keep this hidden, but it was finally hitting her.

She was pregnant.

Lynissara was with child- with Aldonn's child- and could never return to the Horde. She would have to hide out somewhere with her half-breed child, and- and oh, the poor child! Never fitting in anywhere, having to choose between one faction or the other, one culture or the other, never knowing where she comes from. And Lyn would never find her mother or father now, because she could never return to any Horde-controlled territory with a half-breed child, or pregnant where it could be seen. She hadn't thought this through at all; she hadn't even though half-bred children were possible. Why did she do this?

She knew she needed to get a grip, but she couldn't. She lay crying in the tall grasses, gasping for air, her arms crossed over her stomach. She didn't even hear Delaeda approach at first, and then looked up at the night elf woman who watched her with wide eyes.

"Lynissara? What's wrong?"

Lynissara just shook her head; she couldn't explain it, especially not to Aldonn's sister, not when she was the only one who knew. She hadn't even told Aldonn yet, or Aladey. The worst part was that she already loved this child, despite everything. She loved it enough to want to run away somewhere and raise it in secret, denying its existence to anyone else.

"Nothing; nothing," Lynissara sobbed, unable to speak. She hated feeling so weak and vulnerable- the steadfast soldier had been reduced to a sobbing mess in the wilderness.

But Delaeda sat down next to her and wrapped her arms around the hysterical paladin. "Hush, Lyn, you're alright. It's all gonna be alright now, okay? Just focus on calming down. Stress won't help you. Are you worried about the battle? Is that it?"

"That's part of it."

"Even though we know we win?"

"It's not just me anymore, Delaeda." She straightened up, sniffling and trying to regain control of her emotions. She sat up, cross-legged, and wiped at her face. She looked up at the night elf girl. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course."

"Even from Aldonn? And Brunen?"

"Lyn, I know I've been hostile in the past, but I'm here if you need me. Just talk to me."

The paladin took a deep breath. She cleared her throat, looking out at the stars, and laid her hand on her lower stomach. She heard Delaeda's audible gasp. "I'm pregnant, Delaeda. It's Aldonn's, and I don't know what to do."

Delaeda was silent for a long moment, and Lynissara was desperate for some sound.

"I know it was stupid and shouldn't have happened, but it did, and now it's an active part of my life. And with the battle coming up, I have no idea what to do."

After that, Delaeda spoke. "I didn't even know that was possible."

"Neither did I. If I had thought it could happen, I wouldn't have risked it, especially not with everything going on."

"So you're pregnant with my brother's child… I'm guessing he doesn't know?"

"No, and he can't. Not until after the battle. He'll stop me from fighting, and we need all the strength we can get. Brunen and I are tied for the strongest fighters, the ones who can take the most damage, and you can't risk not having either of us out there with you. Pregnant or not, I have to participate."

"I- I understand." Delaeda looked up, and Lynissara met the night elf's eyes. Delaeda gave a hopeful smile. "Can I- can I feel your stomach? I'm very in tune with energies, and I just… I want to see if I can feel it."

Lynissara nodded and moved her hand from her stomach. Delaeda reached out and laid a hand on the paladin's stomach, and a faint glow emerged from the night elf's fingers, spreading warmth into Lynissara's stomach. The paladin watched, fascinated, and Delaeda gasped and smiled, and then looked up at Lynissara.

"Incredible! Lynissara, do you mind if I tell you something?"

Lynissara shrugged. "Go ahead."

"There's two in there. You're having twins- a boy and a girl."

And just like that, Lynissara's heart swelled. Somehow, that removed all of her doubts, and she knew, somehow, that she and her small family would be okay. Two half-bred babies… Whatever happened, she would love them for as long as she lived, and as long as they lived. She smiled at their future aunt, as excited as she was for the children that would exist in an unknown amount of time. Blood elf pregnancies were shorter than night elf pregnancies, so there was no real way to know, and there was so much magic from either side that there was no telling what would happen.

But as she and Delaeda sat out on the hilltop, talking about the children and the pregnancies and life after the battle, she felt soothed for the first time since she'd noticed the small bump emerging from her muscular torso.

 **xxx**

The day waned to night again, and Lielatha found herself in the Stonetalon Mountains, her loyal man-goon ever at her side. Having her own personal manservant was quite useful, especially when he felt so much guilt for past wrongs that he would do nearly anything she said. They were following just inside the border of the warm-hued hill region west of the Barrens, trying to keep out of sight. Lielatha's goal was to reach the demon before the other paladin did; no pregnant woman needed to be near a monster that hideous. If she could reach it first, they stood a chance. Alathan, she hoped, would prove an efficient fighter, and the blood distraction should help.

A figure moved in the shadows and she froze, reaching out a hand to signal Alathan to stop moving. He froze where he stood and glanced at her, but she was oblivious to his gaze, focused instead on the figure crouching in the shadows. Her eyes narrowed in the twilight; was that figure truly humanesque, or was she only seeing things? Then he rose, and she reached for blade only to notice a blood elf.

"Li?"

She gasped, recognizing the voice. "Kaloren!?"

Her brother stepped out of the shadows, grinning and walking forward with open arms.

"Kal!" She greeted him, leaping forward and hugging him. "What brings you here?"

"Rumors of my little sister chasing demons," he answered. He stepped back, placing a hand on the small of her back. "And who's this fellow you've got with you?"

"This is Alathan Brightfury," Lielatha said, gesturing to the warrior who stood dumbstruck and confused. "He's my goon."

"Got it. Hello, goon, I'm Kaloren, Lielatha's older brother."

But said good narrowed his eyes. "I thought you said a demon lord killed your family, and that's why we were on this crazy trip."

"He did," Kaloren answered for her. "He killed our parents and our older sister. We've been out for revenge since, but were never strong enough, nor did we know where or how to find him. Now he's thrown himself out in the open, we can properly hunt him."

Alathan nodded, and they started off again, Lielatha chatting happily with her brother. She hadn't seen him in moons, not since he left on that damnable quest to Silverpine Forest to be a spy for the Dark Lady. It was hard enough to believe he survived, and even more incredible he made it here to join her. They were a few hours' walk from Silverpine, and then it would be freedom to finally get revenge.

A few feet behind the paladin, Alathan wasn't feeling the same enthusiasm. He was finally realizing his past deeds didn't concede his right to live, and didn't justify the controlling relationship Lielatha had imposed upon him. More than that, Kaloren made it sound as though Lielatha's guilt-tripping act of imprisoning a man to do her bidding was a regular act. She wasn't the kind of paladin he desired to be around; she didn't even warrant the title with such skewed morals.

Finally, Alathan Brightfury found some self-worth, and forgave himself for past wrongs.

"No."

The paladin and rogue ahead of him stopped short, turning back to look at him. Lielatha's eyebrows creased. "Sorry, what?"

"I said no," he answered. She turned full around to face him.

"No what?"

Alathan gestured to Kaloren. "You've got your blood sacrifice if you want it, but I'm done being your puppet. One mistake in a past relationship doesn't warrant my life worthless, nor does that make it okay to sign me on to a mission that has nothing to do with me. Get your personal revenge and enjoy yourself with it, but leave me out of it. This isn't my fight, and I won't die for it."

Lielatha's eyebrows rose. "You're seriously going to just leave now, and be a coward again?"

"It's not cowardly to stand up to you."

She laughed. She actually laughed. "You really think so? Didn't you learn before how cowardly it is to stand up to a girl? Moron."

He stood straighter. That same nagging voice at the back of his mind that got him in this situation was returning, but his resolve was back. "It's not cowardly to stand up for myself, and what happened with Aladey was months ago. She moved on, she made something of herself, and I've suffered adequate punishment for what happened in Sunstrider. It's no longer necessary that I keep seeking atonement."

"Oh, but Alathan-"

 _"No."_

And he turned around and strode away, leaving the controlling, careless girl behind. He would find someone someday who would actually care about him, and until then, he would accept no chains. He was his own man, and would be.

 **xxx**

The group woke in the morning and started out, and Aladey couldn't shake the dream-state she had been in since finally confessing to Faradin how she felt. Waking up in the big tauren's arms made her feel so safe and loved; there was nothing like the pure bliss of being with him. She couldn't stop smiling, and neither could he; she knew they both looked like idiots, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Aldonn and Lynissara had their own star-crossed lovers spiel that worked for them, and Delaeda and Brunen had their innuendo-filled, humorous relationship; but what Aladey and Faradin shared was a love founded on friendship and caring for one another, and it was unbreakable. It was the best thing she'd ever had, and she was terrified of losing it but thrilled that it was there. She was finally admitting how much she appreciated Faradin.

Her hand intertwined with his as they strode along through the hills, she almost didn't see the pretty blood elf warrior curled up under a tree dressed in rags with a shoddy blade laying next to him, but her daze nearly broke when she did. She halted at once, and Faradin glanced at her.

"What is-"

She heard his gasp as he glanced over and saw what she did. The rest of the group stopped, and Lynissara's eyes landed on Aladey.

"Friend of yours?"

"Not exactly," she replied. "An ex."

She could see Faradin bristling, but didn't quite know what to do about that, or about the presence of Alathan Brightfury in plain sight for the first time since she'd left Sunstrider Isle.

"What are you going to do?" Faradin asked, his tone clipped. She gnawed the inside of her lip, trying to think. What _should_ she do? Leaving him there to die would be perfectly acceptable after how he treated her, but it felt wrong. That had been months ago, and there was no reason to leave him out here vulnerable and alone. She wasn't him.

"Wake him up, I suppose," Aladey answered, and then glanced up at Faradin, one of her hands landing on his soft forearm. "If that's alright with you."

Faradin waved toward Alathan. "That's your choice, I suppose."

"He can't come with us," Lynissara said, and Aladey nodded.

"I know. Not to wear we're going. But he's vulnerable and likely to die out here if we just leave him, and no matter what he's done, he doesn't deserve to die like that."

Lynissara nodded back at her cousin. "Go ahead, Aladey; we can escort him to the next village, or at least give him a bit of food."

Aladey nodded, feeling awkward, and headed over. From several feet away, she started poking him with her staff.

"Alathan? Alathan, come on, wake up."

A green glow emerged from squinted eyelids as he blearily sat up on his elbow. "Wha-? Who-?" He rubbed his eyes, and then looked up and gasped. "Aladey?"

She nodded and knelt down, keeping her distance still and feeling everyone's eyes on her. "What happened? Why are you out here like this, alone?"

He sat up and the rest of the group approached behind Aladey, as curious as she was.

"I was… I was traveling with a paladin girl, a blood elf like your cousin," he glanced over and spotted Lynissara, "Oh, hi. Anyway, I told her what happened between us way back when, and how bad I felt for it, and she, well…" He yawned, still bleary but waking up evermore. "She guilt-tripped me into planning to risk my life to fight some demon-lord in Ashenvale. She was going to have me shed blood to distract him, and then she planned to kill him by herself. I finally wised up; a mistake made months ago, to a girl who probably forgot all about it, wasn't worth my life. I could atone in other ways, like… I'm sorry, Aladey. I really am." He was fully awake now. "I was an arrogant ass, and you deserved better. I hope you found him. And I'm not going to question why you're traveling with two night elves and a draenei; it's none of my business."

"We were actually going to offer walking you to the next town we cross, and giving you a bite to eat. You don't look particularly well-nourished."

He shrugged. "The other girl kept me on a pretty tight leash, and made me feel disgusted by myself, like I wasn't worth anything. She started out supportive, but before I knew it she controlled everything I did."

"Come on," Aladey said, conjuring a roll, "Eat and walk with us." She offered him a smile. "Things will get better, Alathan."

She helped him to his feet and handed him the roll, and then gestured to her companions. "This is Faradin, the love of my life; Lynissara, my cousin, a much more moral paladin than the one you described; Aldonn, her lover, a druid; Delaeda, Aldonn's sister, also a druid; Brunen, Delaeda's boyfriend, a warrior like you."

"Nice to meet you all," Alathan said, nodding at them each.

Lynissara crossed her arms, looking him up and down. "So you're the swine who tried to form some kind of controlling relationship over my cousin?"

Alathan sighed. "Yes, and it was very wrong of me and I've regretted it ever since, to the point that I signed on to that crazy quest and allowed myself to be controlled, thinking it only just. But that's not the answer, and it's not right. I can atone in other ways."

"You could help _us,"_ Aladey suggested, glancing around at the group. She met Faradin's scrutinizing eyes, and quickly looked away, turning back to Alathan. "Don't be mistaken; the two of us never have a chance at being anything. But if you really want to atone, I think saving the world- in your own way, with a sword, not as a blood sacrifice- would be an excellent way to do so."

He smiled, but it didn't touch his eyes. "As much as I would love to be that man, it's not for me. I became a warrior to be impressive, because I was scrawny and had a terrible personality and thought being a warrior would give me a chance. I don't know what I'll do now, but I'll find some other way to pay back that debt to the world."

Aladey nodded. "That's your choice, then. We still insist on escorting you to the nearest town."

"Thank you."

Aladey returned to Faradin's side, taking his hand, and they started off again. She noticed Lynissara and Delaeda were both very quiet, occasionally slipping back to chat at the back of the group in hushed murmurs. Aldonn was in a good mood, walking with the usual druid stance around nature. Brunen was making conversation with Alathan, and occasionally there would be a robust laugh accompanied by a smaller chuckle from the pair. As for Aladey, she was just happy to have Faradin with her, and though he hadn't said anything since they got Alathan, she hoped he knew she was his completely.

He knows that, right?

 _Several feet away,_ Lynissara was walking with Delaeda, who had become a rather enthusiastic soon-to-be aunt.

"What would you name them?" Delaeda asked, and Lynissara glanced over at Aldonn.

"I don't know. I always thought I would decide with the father."

Delaeda couldn't suppress her own glance at Brunen. "You're lucky. It's a confirmed fact that a half-night elf, half-draenei is completely impossible."

"I'm sorry."

"No! No, you're having two. I can just keep one at a time and pretend it's mine. So, again, names?"

Lynissara grinned and Delaeda grinned back. She couldn't wait to be an aunt; the idea that Aldonn would finally be a father was such a wonderful thought that she could completely overlook the race of the mother. She knew there were many complications to this, but that was between Lyn and Aldonn, not Delaeda and Lyn. So she would be the supportive aunt.

She just hoped everything with the pregnancy would go well.

 **xxx**

 _Edge of Ashenvale, that night_

"What if we fail?"

Lielatha looked at her brother in surprise. "Fail? Kal, how could we _fail?"_ She snorted. "Look, with your sneak abilities and my brute force and our combined battle strategy, he won't stand a chance."

"Or we're highly underestimating his abilities and he will, in fact, end us."

Lielatha shrugged off the suggestion, continuing to sharpen her blade by the light of their small campfire. The claymore had been her constant companion over the years and, finally, the needless bloodshed and endless training had all come to what she was sure would be an incapacitating finale. No doomsaying would sway her now; if that tactic worked, she would have given up on this quest long ago.

As it was, she had spent her entire life training for this moment. While Kaloren had first used his rogueish ways to support the two of them through a difficult childhood as orphans, he had later left Shattrath and come to Silvermoon a respected warrior. Enlisting under Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, Kaloren had made a name for himself as one of her shadows, and gained experienced Lielatha couldn't imagine.

But Lielatha had specialized as a paladin for the sole reason of exacting a most holy justice against the unholy bane which had recklessy wrecked her entire life over a decade ago. No emotions existed for her except for anger, the hellbent desire for revenge that wouldn't be quashed by any reason or warning. This was the battle she had prepared for for the entirety of her life- and nothing could stop her now.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

A/N: Alright, and there are about four more chapters! I may have gotten super enthusiastic and finished this story full-out over the past few days, and now that leaves me free to dedicate all of my time to my Sirius Black fanfic for NaNoWriMo

Thanks for reading; don't forget to review! I've started the sequel, but I still need some OCs, and still think it would be fun to include characters the readers have made. Message me!


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Confrontation

_Ashenvale - Same night, after midnight_

The sound of frightful whispers, quiet cackles, and the rustling of motion woke Lielatha. She leaned up on her elbow, her elven eyes opening and glowing green to the shadows. Though she kept her face a steadfast mask, she felt a rising alarm within her at the numerous eyes glinting back at her- too many to count, all in pairs. She then recognzied the laughter once it was applied to the small height and narrow frame of the creatures gathered in the shadows around her- grellkin.

"Kaloren, wake up," she said, kicking her brother in his bedroll next to hers. "I had a bad dream."

He half-woke, mumbling, "Wha-?"

"Bad dream," she said. "I don't like these shadows."

"There's nothing to…" He glanced around, and she saw the change register in his face as he spotted the hundreds of grellkin cloaked in shadow around them. He turned back to his sister. "Would you like to walk it off and get moving?"

"Of course."

They both rose and began rolling up their bedrolls, but Lielatha had only gotten hers halfway when the first grellkin leapt from the shadows.

 _"FOOLS! That was not the signal!"_ bellowed a hollow, dark voice from the shadows.

"He's here!" Lielatha shrieked over the now-clattering sound of the grellkin as each met her blade, the rest encountering Kaloren's dual-dagger wield. The two siblings fought back to back, meeting blows from grellkin after grellkin. But they only seemed to keep showing, and now Lielatha was seeing red at the edge of her vision. Finally- after years- her life mission-

 _"Aghrh!"_ came a grunt from behind her, followed by innumerable laughter. "Li- I-"

Kaloren's gasped were dutifully ignored as Lielatha focused on the task at hand. She hadn't heard him fall, which meant she was open to continuing lessening the dark lord's numbers, blow by blow, one by one, till all were gone.

Till all were gone.

 **xxx**

 _Stonetalon Mountains, close to Ashenvale, next morning._

"Nissa?"

Lynissara's eyes opened and she couldn't help but light up at the sight of Aldonn next to her. Her neck rested on his large arm, her head on the pillow beyond it, and he was on his side against her as she lay flat. She smiled up at him and reached up, tucking a lock of hair behind his pointed ears. Being around him made it so easy to just be her, once she accepted it and got away from that damnable war. Love had changed her, and oh, she loved him.

"Nissa, I've got to ask you something."

She yawned and stretched, her eyes closing in the process, arms out beyond her head. As the stretch came to an end, she clasped her hands over her stomach, smiling up at Aldonn. "What is it?"

He glanced away uncertainly, and used his free arm to reach up and take one of her hands, holding it gently in his blue-fingered grip. "Are you… I mean, are we…"

A flare of panic rose in her, but she kept the sleepy smile in place, hoping he wouldn't see the concern in her eyes. If he discovered her secret, then he would stop her from going to the battle- if she didn't go, then she couldn't- she wasn't-

"Are we pregnant?"

 _Deny. Deny. Deny._ But she couldn't lie to him, no matter how logical. Her honor required she be in the battle, meaning it required she lie to gain entrance, but her honor also required honesty. She lay frozen, stuck in the middle, staring up at him.

"Wh-what makes you think that?" was all she could say, and even that after a long pause, her smile now vanished.

"I just…" He rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand, still not meeting her eyes. "I noticed you've been acting different. Sleeping a lot more, eating a lot more, having a hard time getting comfortable. And… And you've put on a little weight, but only around your stomach. The rest of you is still firm and muscular, but just right- there-."

He gestured to the small bump that had appeared between her hips over the past couple of weeks, and then laid his hand on it. "I can feel the energies there, Nissa. There's no need to hide from me."

She swallowed heavily. "Aldonn, whatever condition I'm in, I'm committed to this battle-"

"Harboring life is not a 'condition', Nissa. It's a privilege; we didn't even know this could happen."

Now he was looking at her, and she wished he wasn't. The hardness of his features had her stricken, and she looked away, studying the grainy pattern of the cotton tent flaps hanging over them, blocking out the pale early morning sunlight. "Aldonn, I'm honorbound to participate. I've brought too many others into this not to. I… I love this child, I do, and I love you, and I'm honored beyond words to bear your child, especially given our physical differences." She paused, and then finally looked at him. "But, Aldonn… Say I don't go to the battle, and Aladey dies because I wasn't there protecting her. I can't live with that."

He met her eyes, golden staring into soft peridot green, and finally sighed and rolled onto his back. "If you can live with the death of our child, then that's your choice."

They lay in silence for a long moment, which seemed to stretch decades to Lynissara. Her mind reeled with thoughts so short and scattered she couldn't properly comprehend them; part of her wanted to run away to Delaeda, and enthuse about the joys of pregnancy and also fret about Aldonn's reaction. Then a large blue hand encased her smaller golden one, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Nissa, I've always supported you, and I'll support you now. I trust your judgment, and I know you're scared of a lot right now. But whatever you decide, I'll be at your side through it all. I want nothing more than to see you happy, and if it's possible to get pregnant once, then it should be possible for it to happen again; whatever happens at that battle, we'll make it through. I love you, Nissa, alright?"

And just like that, she was crying again. She curled into Aldonn's chest, laying her head against sternum and crossing her arms across her midsection; large arms wrapped around her, holding her in her safe space.

"Shh, love, shh," he whispered, petting her long golden hair. "I'm here. We'll be okay. Shh…"

 _One tent away,_ Brunen Taas lay watching how the different pigments of morning sun cascaded against peach cheeks and scattered spring green hair, which lay in disarray around the most beautiful face he had ever seen. As he watched her sleep peacefully, her lips parted just so, a faint smile toying at the edges, eyes closed in serene dreams with soft violet veins against the lids, he reflected on just how lucky he was to have her. It wasn't just the sex; the sex was amazing, but it wasn't about that. Delaeda Oakshadow was the only woman he had ever been so enraptured with, and he couldn't imagine himself loving anyone else, ever.

She was beauty in itself, a walking personification of the word. His mother Kaana had told him to find a woman who made him feel like it was always summer; Delaeda was the gentlest warmth to ever grace through him. She was embedded in his soul, in the white light of his chest, and no matter their cultural differences he knew their spiritual energies danced together in an unbreakable waltz. She was his every dream come true, and he never wanted to leave her side- ever.

"I can feel you staring at me."

The honey-laden voice echoed through his ears, as sweet and musical as when he first met her, mending her boot in Lions' Pride Inn. He smiled, a low chuckle rumbling out of his chest. "You're quite something to stare at, especially when sleeping."

"As much as I appreciate the compliment, I must deny my sleeping form is any bit as enrapturing as you make it out to be."

"Oh, but it is." And he reached up, his thumb dancing across her lips. "These part just so, faintly smiling, like you're laughing even in your sleep." He moved his thumb to her cheek. "These relax, like the laughter isn't exciting but relaxed, as though reminiscing an old story with a cherished friend." He travelled to her still-closed eyes. "Veins like lightning run through these, and there is no trace of the stress you keep concealed or the fears you cover with humor. There is only peace." He caressed her cheek, eyes narrowing just so. "It is the most beautiful bit of peace I have ever witnessed."

She laughed sleepily, and he was caught in the unwinnable struggle of whether to kiss her or let her speak, because she was just so- "I love you. Have I told you that lately?"

"Oh, yes," Brunen murmured, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "And I still love hearing it just as much."

He kissed her cheek again as she replied, "Well, I do." And another kiss. "More and more," another kiss, "Every day," another, "And I hope," and another, "That you feel quite the same."

He planted a firm, loving kiss on her lips. When it ended, he smiled as her eyes opened finally. "Delaeda, you are the moon in my darkest night, the sun on my brightest day. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever had the privilege of knowing, and loving, and spending time with."

She almost frowned, the muscles twitching down around her mouth as she stared at him. "And you're sure you don't regret this?"

"I'm sure. No lifetime without you is worth it."

She nestled into his neck. "I'm glad you think so."

She planted a kiss to his collarbone, and then another closer to his neck, and he gasped. She giggled lightly.

"Don't think I didn't notice."

He glanced down at her. "Notice what?"

"Brunen, every morning, you're particularly statuesque in one area."

He chuckled. "Are the neck kisses a sign you'd like to take advantage of that?"

She lightly nipped his neck. "What do you think?"

 **xxxx**

 **A/N:** I sincerely apologize for the error when I first posted this. If I copy it straight from Microsoft Word, all of the script for the formatting comes with it and it shows up jumbled with a bunch of random characters and text around it. I had forgotten that when I posed this the first time. So, now it should be fixed, and I hope it's enjoyed!


	19. Chapter Nineteen: You're In My Veins

_Warning: The first part of this chapter is sexually explicit. This is to show the closeness of Brunen and Delaeda's relationship, but you **can** skip over it if you don't like reading that kind of thing. Once you reach the italicized font, 'Morning came early,' you're past the explicit part._

 ** _xxx_**

 _Ashenvale_

Delaeda lay naked over Brunen, moving gracefully with him inside her. Little moans and gasps came from her parted lips, hot breath against his neck, and he kept his grip on her hips to keep from groaning aloud. She began to move faster and he strained against the urge to plunge deeper into her and take control; he had tried that once, and it had been awkward enough then asking Aldonn to heal her after she woke the next morning bruised and sore. So he let her have her fun, while he lay back and enjoyed the sensation.

She slammed down suddenly, and he was all in. His eyes shot open wide and he gasped audibly as she let out a moan, and she became perfectly still, and then moved only just so around him, trying hard to keep her moans quiet all the while.

"Keep at it like that and I'll be finished," he gasped, and she only giggled lightly in return. She eased into the motion and he bit his lip hard to keep down a groan of pleasure as she sped up more and more so, enjoying herself thoroughly. A desperate and wild side of her came out then, and Delaeda was frantically relishing every bit of the draenei, her hands along his sides and her mouth on his neck and shoulders and face as her hips jolted faster and with more vigor than he had ever experienced from her.

Suddenly, she shifted down again, moving forward just a little, and at the same moment they both gasped. He felt himself finish and she let out one sonorous moan followed by light gasps, meaning she had, too. They lay there for a moment, both too ecstatic to move. What can beat the pure bliss of growing that intimate with the person you're madly in love with?

"Are you alright?" Brunen asked after he'd caught his breath, laying his large hand against the soft peach flesh of her side. She clutched his shoulders tighter in response, and he chuckled. "That good, huh?"

"That was the best it's ever been," she answered. "I mean it's always been amazing with you." She trailed her fingers along his arm, continuing, "But I always held back, even that time when you took control. I think I just wanted to make sure I got the full experience this time… I've never dared to before." She let out a breathless laugh. "Not till now. I wish I had, sooner."

"Will you be able to walk tomorrow?"

She let out a happy sigh, running her hands along his chest and sides without lifting off of him. "Mm, I don't know."

She yawned then, and lay on him still. "Can we sleep like this?"

He chuckled. "If you're comfortable, then I am."

She leaned up and kissed his jaw. "Goodnight, my love."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

He rubbed his hand along the soft curves of her back, feminine and muscular all at once, till she was fast asleep in his arms, him inside her still, her little forearms holding his broad-muscled neck. He wrapped both arms around her, closing his eyes and inhaling the woodland, flowery scent she always wore.

He was the luckiest man in the world.

 _Morning came early_ , and Brunen woke the same way he'd fallen asleep. Delaeda sat up and stretched, and then stopped and stared forward, her eyes wide and lips parted in a gasp. She stopped and giggled, and he grinned at her.

"Surprised?"

She giggled again. "You're exactly how you were last night; are you really ready to go again?"

"Of course," he answered. "I'm a draenei. We're the fertility masters of all planets."

She chuckled lightly, and withdrew from him. "I think twice yesterday was enough for a while, yes?"

He kissed her cheek as she laid down against his side, and smiled at her. "You know it's always your choice, love."

"And what about you? Wouldn't you want a choice?"

He rubbed her arm. "I trust you not to ask at inappropriate times, and outside of that I'm nearly always ready for you. So yes, it's your choice."

She smiled and hummed happily, hugging him close, and soon she was back asleep.

He waited until she had turned away from him, and then he sat up and stretched as well. He pulled on his trousers and climbed out of the tent to find Aldonn sitting over by the fire. He had noticed yesterday in their travels that Aldonn and Lynissara were both quiet, and even when Delaeda attempted conversation, Lynissara gave a quick, quiet answer and said no more. Delaeda wouldn't speak of what was bothering those two, so Brunen assumed it was none of his business. He saw Alathan laid out on a bedroll across the firepit, and heard Faradin and Aladey talking quietly. Those two had also had a wall between them since Alathan's arrival, but Brunen thought it was as bad as his irrational jealousy of Shadorin; Shadorin was no threat, not when Delaeda loved him like she did.

He knelt next to Aldonn, who looked up with stressed golden eyes and asked, "Yes?"

Brunen reflected, not for the first time, on how unfairly pretty a face Aldonn had for a man. Perhaps it was just the similarities to Delaeda that made him think so, but Brunen would never deny it: if he were a lady night-elf seeking a night-elf man, he would go for Aldonn in a heartbeat. He smiled at the thought and clapped Aldonn on the back.

"Good morning! I was hoping you could make sure no one goes in mine and Delaeda's tent; your sister never wanted to get dressed last night, and she's sleeping too peacefully for me to wake her."

He saw Aldonn's internal cringe in his eyes as the elf, stone-faced, turned back to the fire. "Sure thing. Where will you be?"

"Out by the river, bathing."

"By the river or in the river?"

"Ah, you know us draenei! We prefer to stand next to water to get the feeling of hygeine as we scrub ourselves with tree bark."

Aldonn glanced up, at first unamused, and then with a hint of reluctant laughter in his face. "Yes, Brunen, I will keep an eye out for you. I wouldn't want my sister defiled any more than you would, no matter what I was unfortunate witness to last night, and yesterday morning, and the night before that, and the lunch break-"

"We at least try to be quiet," Brunen defended, chuckling, before rising to his hooves. "Thank you, Aldonn. You've always been very kind to me, despite my relationship with your sister."

Aldonn shrugged. "Delaeda has always been… A free spirit, if you will. And you make her happy and are more devoted to her than anyone ever has been. As much as I don't _want_ to listen to my sister's moans all night every night, as it rather spoils my own sexual appetite, you make her happy, so I don't complain."

"And I appreciate it."

Aldonn gave a forced smile. "I'm sure you do. Now please, go bathe. This is not a topic I'd like to dwell on."

Brunen let out a hearty laugh. "Of course, of course. Farwell for now, Aldonn!"

Ten minutes later, Brunen was sufficiently bathed, as sufficiently as was reasonable on a long journey. He had pulled on his trousers and a white tunic and was just lacing his boots when a face appeared across the river- a blood elf, and not Aladey, Lynissara, or Alathan.

He reached for his blade and she threw up her hands.

"Wait! Please!"

He paused, hand on the blade, and narrowed his eyes at her. He leaned a little closer to her as she stumbled forward, eyes on her feet, and tripped as she waded into the river some. It was a fairly shallow river; a goblin would barely have to swim to cross.

"I'm not here to hurt you," she said, "I need help. I sense another Blood Knight nearby- I need to find her. She's the one with child, yes? I need to- to warn her… Oh, god, he's dead..!"

And with that, she collapsed into the river.

"Oh, Light!" Brunen yelped, dashing to his feet and running into the river, ignoring the water soaking into his clothes. He had to leap and catch her by the foot; the river was shallow, but the current was strong. He yanked her back to him, and finally looked at her- dark skin, silver hair, battle-weary and wounded. This was a girl who had obviously experienced intense stress in recent times, and she would need not only medical attention, but someone to help her recover emotionally-

Wait.

Pregnant blood knight?

 **xxx**

Lynissara sat with her arms folded around her knees as Aladey emerged from her tent and came out to sit, watching as Lynissara roasted jerky for breakfast for them all, heating bread on a tin nearby. Aldonn had gone inside when Lynissara came out; he was supportive, but he was terrified, and Lynissara accepted that. He would be alright, once she was.

"Lyn, what do I do?"

Lynissara glanced over at Aladey. "About what?"

"Faradin still thinks I have feelings for Alathan, after everything."

"You remind him of how deeply in love with him you are every time he asks about it, and eventually he'll accept what you say as truth. Don't get annoyed or stressed; just keep reassuring. If he gets too irrational about it, tell him so, but only if he remains so long after Alathan is dropped off at another village."

"I can hear you, you know," Alathan noted from around the campfire, and Lynissara forced a smile.

"I know. But this isn't about you." She flipped the jerky on its skewer, glancing at Aladey's still-troubled expression. "Trust me, Aladey. It'll work out."

"I just… I just got Faradin, you know? And there's a battle coming up. I don't want to lose him, not again, not when I _just finally got him._ I waited for so long, and I know he's a tauren and I'm a blood elf, but really at this point dating in one's own race is kind of a dull phrase around here. We've got a draenei and a night elf, a night elf and a blood elf, and a blood elf and a tauren, and a blood elf and his ego."

"Hey!"

"Kidding, Alathan." Aladey glanced at Lynissara again. "My point is, Faradin is an amazing person, and I've felt this way about him for ages-"

She cut off and Lynissara nearly dropped her skewer as Brunen appeared on the path to their camp soaking wet, his damp clothes clinging to him and dripping water, with an unconscious blood elf girl in her arms.

Lynissara recognized her at once and rose to her feet. "Lielatha!"

 _Three hours later,_ Brunen sat outside his tent. Progress in their travels had been stalled by the sudden appearance of yet another blood elf, and Delaeda couldn't seem to decide how to feel about it, from what Brunen could tell. Lynissara had explained to all of them who Lielatha was; the girl had been a novice around the time Lynissara left the Blood Knight Order, and the two had shared a mentor. Lord Irador had been reluctant to train Lielatha due to her vengeful mindset; Lielatha had been bent on avenging the death of her parents by killing the demon that killed them. It seemed now they had found it- and her.

Lielatha stirred in her sleep finally. Aldonn, Lynissara, and occasionally Delaeda had all combined their different healing tactics to attempt healing the girl. Aldonn dealt with the physical wounds, which were many, while Lynissara affected spiritual damage and Delaeda tried to rejuvenate the girl's energies to prompt her to wake. By now, Lynissara sat with Aladey and Faradin, eating to renew her own energy, and Delaeda sat combing her long hair next to Brunen. Aldonn was the only one next to the new paladin when she gasped suddenly and sat up.

The druid placed a firm hand on her shoulder, holding her flat. "Shh, don't worry. I'm a neutral party just trying to help you."

"What-" she sucked in a breath, her eyes wide and breathing frantic, "What happened!?"

"We were hoping you could tell us that," Aldonn said. They had all been warned not to speak when she first woke up except for Aldonn, who had experienced patients before who fainted after a trauma. He warned that overwhelming her could damage her memory and senses forever, so they all stayed put, quietly watching. The paladin glanced around at all of us, and then back at Aldonn.

"Who are you? Why am I here?" She struggled to sit up and he put both hands on her shoulders to hold her in place.

"Hold still or you'll reopen your wounds. If you want them to heal, you have to lie still. Stop thrashing."

She froze, her hands roaming her bandages abdomen, arms, and legs. She stopped and glanced at the druid. "Why are you helping me? You're Alliance-"

"I'm a good man, and a healer, and you are injured. I had no reason not to help you. Now tell me: what happened?"

She shuddered, her eyes growing wider, and let out a whimper; Brunen couldn't help but wonder what dreadful thing had happened to this young girl. Lielatha glanced around at them all again, spotting Brunen first.

"I remember him," she said softly, and Brunen saw Delaeda snap up to look at the draenei. Lielatha continued, "He was across the river from me. Did you bring me here?"

Brunen nodded, not sure when to engage in conversation. Lielatha's gaze continued, and fell on Lynissara.

"Lyn!" She tried to sit up, and slammed back down with a gasp of pain. Blood reappeared heavy through one of her bandages. Lynissara shot across camp to the girl's side as Aldonn heaved out a breath and grabbed another wad of gauze.

"Hold still," he grimaced through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry," Lielatha said. "It's been a terrible day." She reached out and took the older paladin's hand. "Lynissara, you'll hear me out. I'd like to talk to you before anyone else here; you're the only one who's not a stranger."

Aldonn sighed. "Let me finish bandaging your wound and the rest of us will let you two catch up on your own. Nonetheless, I believe any threat in this forest is our business as well, and I would like you to be informed that whatever happened will become common knowledge to the rest of us soon after."

"I just need to talk to Lyn."

Aldonn nodded, and then looked up at his beloved. "Is this okay with you?"

Lynissara nodded back at him. "It's fine, Aldonn. Give her some space."

The druid nodded and walked over. "All of you, that side of the fire."

Brunen rose to his hooves and scooped up Delaeda, who yelped in surprise and laughed up at him. He kissed her cheek, grinning, and walked over to the other side of the fire. They all sat, Brunen, Faradin, Aladey, Alathan, Aldonn, and Delaeda, eating quietly and chatting and telling stories.

"So, how _did_ you and Lynissara meet?" Aladey asked, having never heard the story.

Delaeda laughed. "Oh, you'll _love_ this."

Aladey grinned at the night elf, and Aldonn sat up some, clearing his throat as he finished a bite of cheese. "Well, she, um, he tried to kill me."

"What!?"

"Mhm. She was hunting bears in Silverpine to aid the undead apothecary at the war camp, and had hoped I would have undiseased guts. She checked for druid markings on me and I didn't have any, so she attacked me. We fought, and she called the Light, and she was kicking my ass, and I clocked over the head with my staff. Took her back to my hideout and healed her, told her I was in love with her, and she abandoned me for the war."

Aldonn grinned and chuckled. "True romance right there, I tell you."

"Oh, I think I can one-up it," Faradin replied, and Aldonn cocked an eyebrow at the tauren.

"I would love to hear."

"I came to Eversong Woods to fish. The forest is famous for its beautiful trees, soft golden light, and excellent fishing spots, so I was fully prepared to take my leave from Mulgore for a fishing vacation. And then I hear this terrified screaming-" At this point, Aladey punched the big tauren in the side, and he chuckled and put an arm around her. She leaned into his shoulder as he continued, "And I go over the crest of the hill to see this tiny, adorable little blood elf girl running screaming out of the Dead Scar with ten rotlimb marauders chasing after her."

"Seriously?" Alathan asked, and Faradin nodded, grinning still.

"Seriously! Graywing and I save her from the undead and then I offer her a drink, and she replies, 'I have no money.'"

Aladey grinned meekly, ducking into Faradin's chest. He laughed again, rubbing her arm.

"And I told her, 'I'm offering, blood elf.' So we went and got a drink and talked till the morning, and then she went off to Sunstrider Isle to make a name for herself. I met her there that night and we talked some more, and then I came back the next night and she was talking so happily to that pretty fellow-" he pointed at Alathan- "That I thought I'd lost my chance with her. Like an idiot, I ran away, and a month later she shows up at my village and saves us from centaurs.

"Saves you from centaurs?" Aladey repeated. "If you remember, I tramped into a cave full of people bigger and stronger than _two_ of me, fought off most of them, and then got captured, robbed, and starved. Then you charged in and saved _me."_

"And you took a halberd to the chest ten minutes later and saved _me."_

"So you saved each other," Brunen concluded, and the two nodded, still sending each other challenging glares.

"What about you and Delaeda?" Aladey asked, a small smile on her lips.

Brunen smiled back, rubbing her back as Delaeda answered. "Similarly to you and Faradin. He mended a broken boot of mine, and we got very drunk together, made out on the island in the middle of Crystal Lake outside of Goldshire in Elwynn Forest, and then fell asleep together. Woke up in the morning not remembering each other's names and embarked on a journey to find my brother in Silverpine, who was falling madly in love with a blood elf."

"Not my fault the girl I love is a Horde war hero," Aldonn said, and Brunen glanced over at Lynissara, who was sitting up next to Lielatha, who was eating slowly. Lielatha still had that traumatized look, while Lynissara had the face of one receiving dark news. Brunen frowned at the sight, and turned back.

"Speaking of which," he said, "What do you think the story is of Lielatha?"

Aladey glanced over. "Speaking as a blood elf, we don't fall down that easily. We may get scared, or panicked, or exhausted, but, well, you've met Lynissara. You've seen her fight. You just heard Faradin recount that I was fighting centaurs after being starved for two days within minutes of eating. We recover quickly, and for anything else to happen implies something far worse than we're imagining occurred. Add to that the wealth of battle wounds and the tragic past and the vengeful mindset, I think we can guess that she found her demon, and it won."

"But if she made it away…"

"Then it simply didn't care enough to kill her."

A dark mass of clouds had gathered in the sky, and Brunen glanced up, fearing it would rain. Then he noticed they weren't stormclouds, but smoke.

"That's ominous," Alathan commented. "How far to the nearest village?"

Aldonn met the blood elf's eyes. "You'll be staying with us until we find somewhere safe. There's an abandoned sentinel tower not far from here; once we reach it, stay there, and keep yourself out of the thick of the fighting if it comes close. You're in no shape for a battle." He glanced back at Lielatha. "Nor is she, so she'll be staying with you. Can we trust you with her?"

Alathan glanced away. "I, actually… I know her."

The whole group, excepting Lielatha and Lynissara, turned to Alathan in surprise.

"How?" Faradin asked, eyes narrowed. Brunen noticed the suspicion in Aladey's eyes as she glared at her fellow blood elf.

"She's… She's the one who was going to use my blood to distract the demon."

All the pieces clicked into place then. Brunen glanced around the fire at the dark-skinned blood elf, and Aldonn jolted to stand but stayed when Delaeda laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't," Delaeda said. "Let Lynissara get the story. Let her think we don't know anything about her. We'll talk to her about what she did to Alathan afterward."

"What about what Alathan did to Aladey?" Faradin asked. "Doesn't that excuse what she did?"

"It's not that-" Aladey started, but Faradin interrupted.

"It's drastic, Aladey. He's not a good person."

"People change!"

"Why are you defending him?"

"Because he's not the same snobbish, arrogant asswipe that he was in Eversong. He's been controlled and manipulated and guilt-tripped for who knows how long, expecting to give up his life because of one mistake. Faradin, you left me, too, if you remember, and I remember it clearly. It _hurt._ He was jealous of you and you were jealous of him and it's all in the past now. I'm not defending the person who tried to control me; I'm defending the victim here."

"So am I."

Aladey glared at Faradin, and her fists balled up. Brunen noticed sparks flying from her fingertips, but before he could react Aladey had leapt to her feet. "We'll talk later. I need to cool down."

She escaped into her tent, and Faradin watched her go with longing, hurt, angry brown eyes. Brunen worried for that relationship; they were both so passionate, though while Aladey was all energy, Faradin was more level. Like fire and water, they were, and it would not be easy balancing that. Brunen let his gaze linger on Delaeda; earth and wind, the two of them, constant companions, a free spirit and her security. He hoped to be that for her for a long, long time.

A long moment of quiet passed, and then Lynissara strode over quietly. Brunen glanced over to see Lielatha laying flat, asleep again. Lynissara sat down next to Aldonn, her legs crossed, a short distance from the druid.

"She has had a hard time."

The rest of the group glanced around each other; Brunen recognized it wasn't his place to tell Lynissara the truth about their new companion, but he wondered who would.

"What happened?" Aldonn asked, his voice even. Lynissara sighed, her head resting on her hands.

"She came here to Ashenvale to fight the same demon-lord we are. His name is Tal'abar, and he's malice incarnate. A huge fel beast that, in the past, fed on blood elves alone, he has now surfaced to take on a much bigger foe."

"Which is?"

"Azeroth. He means to start with the night elves, and then the taurens, believing the peaceful, ancient folk an easier task than the younger, more passionate races. The Eastern Kingdoms are rampant with morale-driven battles while Kalimdor suffices with tactic and magic, which he believes himself able to overcome. He ate Lielatha's parents long ago, and she's never forgiven it. Now, he's made himself a target, but Lielatha said she hasn't seen a single night elf in this forest till she came to our camp."

"So what do we do?"

"She's done a big part for us." Lynissara paused, gathering her thoughts. "She was in Stonetalon Mountains when Alathan left her. She's the one who was guilt-tripping him, but she said her heart died with her parents, and wouldn't come back until she'd gotten her revenge. On a moral level, she knows she should regret treating him that way, but she can't bring herself to. Still, after Alathan left, she went with her brother Ka- Kaloren…"

Lynissara stopped at the name, her voice cracking, and then cleared her throat, which didn't help stop the fact she was crying. "Kaloren was a dear friend of mine. We trained together in Sunstrider and he fought in Silverpine with me. He was a rogue and a flirt and one of my closest friends, and… And he died. They were ambushed in the night by an army of grellkin. Lielatha killed most of them, not noticing Kaloren had been stabbed. As she focused on her swath of grellkin, Kaloren was killed." Lynissara sucked in a breath, trying to find the strength to keep going. "When she noticed he was dead, she fought harder and harder, and then blacked out. When she came to, she was walking near the river, and she saw Brunen, asked for help, and then remembered what had happened and she collapsed."

Lynissara, once mighty and steadfast, had seemingly broken. Aldonn reached over and rubbed her back as she sat trying to breathe and hold back sobs. "I'm sorry, I- I can't."

She rose to her feet and scrambled into her tent, and Aldonn rose and followed.

"I have to catch up Aladey," Faradin said quietly, going into his own tent. That left only Delaeda, Brunen, and Alathan outside. Delaeda was lost in thought, but Alathan looked haunted. Brunen looked up at him.

"What's bothering you, Alathan?"

He gulped heavily. "It's my fault. Had I just gone with her…"

"You would have been killed, too, for a fight that isn't yours," Delaeda replied. "Don't feel guilty for a death you didn't create."

"But it's one I could have prevented."

"You're no warrior," Delaeda said firmly. "You're just you. That's no shame against you; you tried it, and the lifestyle wasn't for you. Had you stayed with her, she would have lost you _and_ your brother, to the same result. You did the right thing for you, Alathan."

He offered a small smile. "Thanks, Delaeda, but I think I'm just going to go wait for Li to wake up. I think she and I should talk."

Delaeda nodded. "That's your choice, but try not to stress her. Aldonn gets very protective over his patients. Brunen," she let her fingers trail over his arm, "Are you ready to turn in for the night?"

He looked over at her, and could tell by her face she wanted to talk. "Of course, sweetheart."

He rose and helped her up, and they moved to their tent. It was only sunset, but it seemed it would be an early night for them all. He crawled into the tent and Delaeda followed, and took his hand in both of hers. She seemed to be holding back saying something.

"Brunen…"

Brunen studied her face and the sorrow there. "What is it, Delaeda?"

"This battle… We aren't… We aren't all walking away from it. I've seen it."

Brunen froze. "Who?"

She shook her head. "I can't say. We have to all be at our best, and if someone thinks they won't walk out, then they won't be."

"Is it you?"

Tears welled from her eyes, dripping off her cheekbones and onto his hand. "I can't say, Brunen. I can't tell you."

His heart seized as he froze. He couldn't lose her- he couldn't. She was the light in his life. He grabbed her in his arms and held her close.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Delaeda. I can't."

She cried in his arms, and he could do nothing but hold her.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **SHIT'S ABOUT TO GET REAL.**


	20. Chapter Twenty: Sacrifice

Chapter Twenty: Sacrifice

 _Ashenvale_

The day had come for the battle

When the group woke in the morning, the sound of thunder, drums, and battle was trembling through the forest. The sound of heavy hooves crashing against the tall grass resonated through the hearts of everyone at the small campsite, and a decision was reached that neither comforted nor calmed Lynissara.

"Aldonn, I can't- not like this-"

"It's the only way. You'll still be helping, and-"

"I won't be helping _you!_ What if something happens-?"

"We have enough numbers to make this work, Nissa. I'll be standing back and healing anyhow; I won't even be in the middle of everything."

"You'll be close enough! Aldonn, if you get hurt, and I wasn't there to save you-"

"Then you'll have two beautiful children to show for it. I'll make it, Lynissara, I promise."

Lynissara strode several feet away and put her back to him, her hands on her hips and her mind reeling. Aldonn seemed to want Lynissara out of the battle, and she understood why but it was exactly what she had feared all along. Nonetheless, she saw the necessity of not being in the thick of it; they had Lielatha, who was currently unable to fight, and Alathan, who wasn't able to fight anyway. Aldonn had proposed Lynissara keep Alathan and Lielatha safe in the abandoned sentinel tower, that way none of the three would be endangered.

And the bad part was it was logical.

"But- but can't…" Lynnisara sighed. "Can't Delaeda protect them or something?"

Aldonn came forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Delaeda isn't a blood elf. Three blood elves in a tower is much less suspicious than two blood elves and a night elf. If a Horde patrol stopped by, they'd find their own kind, or if Delaeda monitored, then they'd suspect her of imprisoning them. Whereas if you were to, then it would be three blood elves, one injured, one unable to fight, and one pregnant. Do you see?"

"But what about you?" She turned around in his arms, letting her own fall around his neck. "Aldonn, I can't lose you. What if something happens?"

He pressed his lips to her forehead and then put his hand on her cheek, his thumb brushing against her cheekbone. "Lynissara, the love I feel for you is enough to call me back to you. Elune wouldn't give us a short time together, not after everything we've been through. This is the final step before we find somewhere that we can be together."

"How?"

"Argent Dawn, Cenarian Circle, the Outlands, take your pick, and we'll go there. This is it; after this battle, it's just you and me, no more stress, just focus on our children."

Lynissara stared up at him desperately, her eyes shining, and kissed him fiercely. "I love you, Aldonn. I love you more than you can know."

He kissed her again, with equal ferocity, and then pulled her into a close embrace. "And I love you."

Once they finished hugging, he placed his palms on her cheeks. "Lynissara, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met, and I love you more than words can express. I'll see you after the battle, I promise."

She kissed him one more time, and then nodded at him. "Okay."

She moved to go find her two invalids, and then stopped and turned back, putting on a brave face. "Aldonn?"

He glanced over at her. "Yes?"

"I don't want 'okay' to be my last word to you. I love you, Aldonn, and I want you to know you're the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"Elune could not have brought me a better match."

Lynissara nodded at him, setting her jaw. _Strong. I'm stronger than this. Remember Lord Irador's teachings; trust your comrades, and let them trust you. The mission comes first. The mission comes first. The mission comes first._ She started toward Alathan and Lielatha, feeling the forest shake around her. _Protect the innocent; protect the weak; protect the injured. Show mercy. Let nothing stand in the way of your moral judgment. Protect…_

She reached the set of tree roots where Lielatha and Alathan were sitting. It seemed they had somehow worked out everything between them, and Lynissara didn't see it as her place to ask. At the current moment, the smell of smoke and the impending battle and rallied troops was far too familiar, and among quashing memories of Silverpine and trying not to fret over Aldonn (and Aladey, Faradin, Delaeda, and Brunen). She stopped in front of them.

"Are you two ready?" _Stalwart. Be a warrior. Be a paladin. For… For Kaloren._

"Ready," Alathan answered, rising. He offered a hand to Lielatha, and Lynissara did as well; both lifted her up and she put her arms around their shoulders.

"Wow, I'm already burdening both of you," Lielatha said, letting out a breathless laugh.

"Already?" Lynissara grinned. "You've been burdening me since we were teens."

"I'm only twenty," Lielatha said. "Not my fault you're such an old lady."

They started off. "Yeah, what _ever._ "

"You're twenty?" Alathan asked, and Lielatha rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I am. It's not that unbelievable. Besides…"

 _Half an hour later,_ the three had reached the tower. Chatting and joking had helped ease off some of the stress, and now they were finally there. A few sparse furnishings remained in the tower- a table, a few chairs, and half a bookshelf. The staircase had collapsed, so the bottom floor was the only floor, and there was no way to reach the top. After setting down Lielatha in one of the chairs, Lynissara straightened up and exhaled.

"Alright, I'll be outside keeping watch. If battle starts, stay out of it. Lielatha, you can barely walk, and Alathan, you're not in the right mind. Can I trust you two to stay out of it?"

"Of course," Lielatha said, nodding. Lynissara fixed her in a steady look.

"If you get in the thick of it, there's no way for me to save you. You both have to stay in here."

She turned and strode out, and sat on the steps to the tower. She could hear Lielatha and Alathan speaking in hushed tones inside, but she was just far enough out that over the sounds of war in the forest she couldn't hear their words. She didn't particularly want to.

Another cramp seized her stomach, as had been happening all morning. She'd never had a mother of any sort, and Lielatha had lost hers young, so neither would be familiar with what pains were normal. She rested a gauntleted hand on her stomach, pursing her lips. _Why is it hurting so much?_ She was barely into the pregnancy; the bump was barely noticeable. She had never heard anything about it hurting this much, but she also didn't know many pregnant women.

By now, she realized, the battle would have started elsewhere. The thought gripped her in anxiety and she looked through the trees, wishing she'd be able to see far enough out to see what was happening. She could hear thunderous crashes and see the smoke in the air, but she didn't know what any of it meant. She sent out a quick prayer that everyone would be okay.

Just then, something stirred across the street. Lynissara rose, her hand immediately on the handle of her battle-ax. A woman stepped out from the trees, purple and white and black, and Lynissara narrowed her eyes, recognizing the demon. _Succubus._

The succubus let out a laugh and suddenly leapt across the path to her as Lynissara withdrew her battle-ax. The motion, however, set off the cramps that had been residing in her stomach all morning. She couldn't hold in the scream that sounded at the sudden explosion of pain. Her head went dizzy and she fell to her knees, barely able to see the wavering ground before her.

The succubus laughed and kicked her over, lashing her whip against Lynissara's side.

"Pathetic," the demoness snarled.

"Lynissara!?" Lielatha called out.

"Stay!" Lynissara shouted back, and the demoness glanced at the door to the tower. Lynissara tried to move but couldn't, and then the succubus was gone from in front of her. The pain intensified to agony, an explosion in her abdomen, and she suddenly feared the worst.

"No, no, no-!" she gasped, clutching her stomach. "No!"

But she could feel the blood. She cried out again, hearing the sounds of fighting and the succubus's cackles from inside the tower, and struggled past the pain to try and get up again, but every movement seemed to trigger another wave of pain. She grabbed her stomach, and through the blinding pain she managed to yank off her gauntlet. She reached down and checked, and when her hand came back, there was blood.

 _I've lost them._

She felt the tears start and then the urge to fight was gone. She had lost her last piece of Aldonn.

 _If I wasn't there to save you-_

 _Then you'll have two beautiful children to show for it._

Now Aldonn was off fighting a demon lord, she hadn't been able to protect Lielatha or Alathan, and she didn't even have the children.

Then a bright light flashed from inside the tower, and there was a banshee-like shriek, then a cry of pain.

"Li!" Alathan shouted, and Lynissara struggled to her hands and knees. Her blood was still on her hand, and left a trail as she crawled back up the steps. She had to pause, gasping for breath, midway up, and then she reached the top. She crawled to the doorway and let out a cry of despair.

The succubus lay dead, a sword through its stomach. Its black spear lay next to it, embedded in the gut of Lielatha, who was coughing up blood and staring up at Alathan, who leaned over her.

"You- you sacrificed yourself," he whispered. "Lielatha, why did you-?"

"You deserved better," she breathed, staring up at him. He met her eyes and she gave him a small smile. "You're a good man, Alathan. Thank you for giving me- for giving me a second chance…"

The breath washed out of her, and Alathan looked up. Lynissara met his eyes and saw the despair there, matching her own, and she collapsed.

 **xxx**

Brunen slammed his hammer down on the head of the demon, watching the imp as it was crushed, and then whirled around and did the same to another imp. Having wiped out the group of them that had attacked him, he turned and looked around. Aldonn had just sent a burst of healing light to Faradin and then turned around so his staff met a demon before its claws could slash him. Faradin was firing arrow after arrow into the mass of demons, Graywing sweeping down and plucking them into the sky and dropping them so they fell to their death and crushed each other in the process. Aladey was inflicting massive amounts of damage in broad sweeping areas, sending bolts of flame out and incinerating the enemy.

The demon-lord himself stood safely across the sea of minor demons watching the chaos he had created, and then Brunen spotted Delaeda, ducking through the shadows at the edge of the fight, as a massive black cat that lunged out and dragged imps into the shadows and killed them before continuing forward. Brunen felt his alarm grow as he saw the demon-lord spot her, but she remained unaware.

 _I won't let anything happen to you, Delaeda. I can't._

His own words rang in his head, and he suddenly realized why she had told him. All had to happen this way; she didn't want him to take the blow intended for him, and was moving now to take it. But that was what drove him to take the blow for her, how the blow would be inflicted-

This was his purpose.

Saving her.

He stormed across the battlefield then, and a glow appeared around at him. Initially, he thought it due to Aldonn, but then realized it came from within, silver light radiating around him. The light itself seemed to drive off all of the demons that tried to stop him, casting them aside and causing them to cower in fear. There was no ability the demon-lord could have that would stop him now.

The demon-lord rose to his blackened hooves, and his glowing eyes found the draenei charging the center of the field. Delaeda was almost to him now.

The steps onto the platform where the demon-lord stood were just below him. Brunen reeled back his hammer and leapt, and slammed forward. The hammer landed in the chest of the demon, alight with a silver glow that burned through his skin and into the blackened heart of the beast.

But it was being countered by a flaming green light from the demon, which was now shrieking.

" _Brunen!"_

Delaeda's shriek only strengthened his reolve. He dug the hammer in further, feeling more of the green light flood out at him, burning through the flesh of his face. He grimaced, and then-

 **xxx**

A flare of white and green light filled the entirety of Ashenvale, and Lynissara felt the difference as the fel magic evaporated, and the glow of the Light washing through. She slumped against the doorframe to the tower, and had been softly crying for nearly an hour when the light flashed. Alathan was doing the same, still holding Lielatha in his arms. There had been so much death and tragedy here that nothing felt like a victory at this point.

Lynissara didn't even want to know what happened with the battle. Peace had returned to the forest, but it had claimed her baby first, and Lielatha. She didn't even want to face Aldonn.

She rose to her feet, gripping her torn stomach, and looked over at Alathan. "When…" She grimaced against the pain, and continued. "When they get here, tell them I'm not coming back."

"Where are you going?"

She glanced back. "Far away."


	21. Chapter Twenty-One: Return

At the edge of Darnassus, just inside the city, there was an island by a glowing magenta portal. On the island stood two night elf druids, and a recently-erected grave. Delaeda crouched down, and ran her hand over the earth. A seed had been planted in Brunen's ashes, a hammer next to them. Little had survived the blast of Brunen, but they had gathered all they could of him. Aldonn knelt down next to his sister and placed his hand on his back.

"I would like to mourn privately, as I'm sure you would. I'll be at the canal by the druid tree whenever you're ready."

He walked away. Delaeda didn't want to go to the druid tree. She didn't want to see Shadorin. She didn't want any reminders of life before Brunen, because all she had now was life after Brunen. The ache in her chest hadn't left, and she knew she should be there for Aldonn, who had the same feeling in his, but she couldn't. His love was still out there somewhere; hers was unreachable.

"They say the ones we love never truly leave us."

She started at the voice, and glanced back to see Tyrande Whisperwind at the edge of the island. Delaeda turned back to the grave, not wanting to look at a woman who _had_ the man she wanted.

"High Priestess, as much as I appreciate your attempts to comfort me, I don't know that anything can at this point."

Tyrande walked forward and placed a hand on the shoulder of the mourning druid. "You never have to forget him, you know, and you can mourn as long as you need to. The money you will receive for your work will cover you for the rest of your life if you let it. Go, Delaeda; take some of his ashes with you in this pendant, and explore. See the parts of the world you never thought you would. Find somewhere you can call home, and make it yours."

"High Priestess! You're needed in the temple- immediately!"

 **xxx**

 _Temple of the Moon - Darnassus_

Something had happened, some stir in the energies of the universe. Something had been put back in place how it should be, and a new chance at proper fate had been given. But first, Lynissara had to turn her back on everything she knew.

"A blood elf? Here?"

"She says she needs to speak to you urgently."

Lynissara paced the balcony, having heard the voices drift up to her. She was dressed in a fine silver robe, her last remnant of her life in the Horde. She had hoped an attempt not to look like a paladin would help ease relations; she'd gone as far as to let her hair down so it cascaded around her shoulders. But no amount of prettying up would hide the muscles along her arms- or the bump that remained between her hips.

Tyrande Whisperwind appeared, and Lynissara faced her full-on. The High Priestess stared at her in amazement. "So it's true."

Just then, Delaeda came around the corner, and Lynissara's eyes widened as she held in a gasp. She turned to Tyrande and hurriedly curtsied.

"Your guards have efficiently checked me and found I have no weapons," she said quickly. "I have arrows pointed at me from all through the room." She saw Tyrande glance around at all the sentinels aiming at Lynissara. "And I'm painfully unable to do any magic outside of calling on the Light in desperate situations. And I'm in one now, but it's not one of that kind of danger."

Lynissara was acutely aware of Delaeda staring at her with wide eyes.

"High Priestess, if you'll excuse me," Delaeda said, and Tyrande nodded at her. The druidess turned into a large cat and disappeared down the ramp. Tyrande continued to stare at the blood elf.

"So you aren't here to kill me. What are you here for? I doubt it's a peace negotiation."

"In a manner of speaking..?"

Tyrande's eyebrows rose. "Come with me. I'd like to speak to you in private."

Lynissara nodded, and followed Tyrande. The priestess effectively dissuaded anyone from following and led her through a secret passage deeper into the temple, into a small sitting room with a fireplace, small pool of water, and a few soft chairs. Lynissara took one and Tyrande sat in another.

"I'm aware of your pregnancy," Tyrande said. "I can see the bump, and the glow. Is it related to why you're here?"

"The child isn't full blood elf."

Tyrande nodded. "I'm aware of that as well. Half night-elf, from what I can tell."

Lynissara's eyebrows rose. "You can tell?"

"Of course I can. You don't become high priestess for being unobservant."

Lynissara sighed and looked at the fire. "Yes, it's half-night-elf. I thought I miscarried in the battle against the fel lord; I was fighting alongside your druids. I'm… I'm in love with one of them, and it's his."

Tyrande sighed. "That explains why he's been so down. I thought it was just because he lost his friend, but it seemed more than that."

"That's my fault. I was having twins; apparently, I only miscarried one. When I thought I lost both, I… Ran."

"You didn't want to face him, to disappoint."

"Yes, exactly. I was scared."

Tyrande cleared her throat, and Lynissara met the woman's powerful eyes. "What is it you need from me, then?"

Lynissara glanced away. "I'm… Not just any blood elf. My name is Lynissara Redwind."

"The Horde war hero?"

"Yes, that's me. I thought it best I was honest with you from the start."

Tyrande was still staring, and when Lynissara dared a glance, her face was passive. "Yet a Horde war hero would not request a private audience with me while pregnant with an Alliance child unless she were truly desperate. So please, continue."

Lynissara swallowed heavily, meeting Tyrande's eyes in full. "I have already said my goodbyes to my guild, and I went on my way. The Horde will never accept a half-bred baby; Sylvanas Windrunner would kill me if she ever found out. I worked closely with her, and one of her first warnings to me was never to let love compromise the mission. There's no place for me and this child in the Horde."

"So you came to the Alliance."

"I came to _you._ It was your druid, and your people, and… I don't want war anymore. I want to join some neutral faction, but I have a child now. This is my only chance."

"I appreciate that you didn't supply any false flattery or dishonesty," Tyrande met Lynissara's eyes. "I understand where you are coming from. But how will I explain who you are to anyone who asks?"

Lynissara sighed. "You can tell them honestly, or you can exempt certain parts of it. I'm no longer Horde, though I don't regret the actions I took. I believed in the cause and both sides committed terrible atrocities. The fact is, it's in the past, and that chapter of my life is done with. I will do my best to be a productive member of the Alliance, but my current priority is my child."

Tyrande met Lynissara's eyes. "There is a house where no one lives in the hills at the edge of Stonetalon Mountains, just at the border with Mulgore. No one will bother you there, and there are installations from both Factions in the area. I will have my sentinels escort you to the border of Ashenvale and Stonetalon Mountains, and let you find the house from there. I'll mark it on a map for you to find."

Lynissara's eyes widened. "You'll really help me?"

"Yes. Stay in Darnassus for tonight and rest." A smile graced her lips. "A pregnant woman needs her rest."

Lynissara felt tears in her eyes as she smiled back at the High Priestess. "Thank you, High Priestess."

Tyrande nodded and stood. "Come, then, and we'll find your druid. Neither of you will receive any punishment for this; things happen, and I understand that."

She started back down the hall and Lynissara followed. She held in an apprehensive sigh, folding her arms in front of her stomach as she made her way back down. They exited back into the temple, and there he was.

Aldonn.

He stood in all of his beauty and glory before the fountain, his golden eyes bright and his thick, dark blue hair falling gracefully over the shirtless form of his muscular upper body. He wore nothing but pants, and his expression was full of love and pain and fear and grief- and then his eyes went lower, and she saw the amazement as he saw the bump still there.

Lynissara barely noticed Delaeda's laugh as Aldonn ran forward and gripped the blood elf in his arms, hugging her tight. She nearly collapsed as she fell into his embrace, wrapping her arms around him as well. He had changed everything about her, and she had never been happier.

"Alathan said- I thought- I thought you lost them…"

"There's still one," Tyrande answered. "A girl. I can sense her."

Aldonn stepped back, keeping an arm around Lynissara, and half-bowed to Tyrande. "High Priestess. Did Lynissara explain everything to you?"

"She did. I have granted her sanction to stay here for the evening, and in the morning the two of you will be escorted to a house in Stonetalon Mountains, where you will be allowed to raise your child in secrecy, without any war or factions influencing her life."

"Thank you, High Priestess."

"Cherish each other."

With that, she strode away. Lynissara turned to Aldonn and smiled widely, tearing up, and he pulled her back into his arms.

Finally, all was right in her world.

 **xxx**

 _Eversong Woods - One Week Later_

The sun was setting in the forest.

Golden light cast over the towering trees, fading quickly to the gray glow of dusk. The river ran by from the waterfall, snaking lazily between the boulders and sand along the banks, reflecting soft light. On the shore, Aladey sat in Faradin's arms, leaning against him.

"What do we do now?" She asked. "Do we go back to Mulgore? Do we keep adventuring? Do we stay here..?"

"I think we've had enough adventuring to last us a lifetime," Faradin replied, chuckling. He kissed the top of her head, reflecting once more that he was the luckiest tauren to ever exist. "So it comes down to here, or Mulgore."

Aladey glanced around. "Well, considering Eversong has never held much for me…"

She trailed off, and Faradin tried to suppress the flare of hope. "Aladey, you don't mean-?"

She sat up and grinned at him. "Let's live in Mulgore."

He hugged her to him, and then stood and lifted her to her feet as well. "I would love to. But first, I have one request."

She raised her eyebrows at him, and he took her hands in each of his, and smiled at their joined hands and then at her. He met her peridot gaze; after all they'd been through, he was absolutely certain of this.

"Aladey, you make me the happiest I have ever been. I know you're a blood elf and I'm a tauren, and how my last engagement ended, but…" He saw it click in her eyes, and hurried through. "But I've never met someone like you, and I've learned far too many times exactly how much I never want to lose you or be without you. I watched Delaeda lose Brunen, and Aldonn lose Lynissara-"

"Oh, she came back! I got the letter this morning; she's in Stonetalon Mountains, and she's still having her daughter."

"That's brilliant! But as I was saying, I've seen too much loss, Aladey, and I don't want that in my life. I love you, and I know that with all the certainty of the earth. My question is, will you marry me?"

She gasped, looking at him, and for a long moment only gawked. _Too soon- I said it too soon- I should've- dammit!_

"Yes!"

And Faradin smiled and embraced her, all doubts forgotten.

After everything, she was his, and he was hers.

And finally, all was right in the world. Faradin could even go fishing.


End file.
